Review: “The Quiet Ones” Brings Small Scares But Not Much Else
Emily Theytaz ’17 / Emertainment Monthly Staff Writer
The group brings Jane to a house in the middle of nowhere due to their budget being cut. They give her a doll that the professor believes will allow them contact with the “thing she has created in her mind, that is definitely not a demon, no absolutely not”—a young girl named Evie who died in a fire. This kicks off the endless cliché horror movie moments and bleak plot points that seem to drag on for longer than 98 minutes.
The scares are comprised of loud, startling noises rather than quality fear-inducing elements. However, there are some fleeting moments, such as a short scene in which the angry professor kicks over cricket equipment on the Oxford lawn, that are fairly entertaining. The movie also happens to be beautifully shot, proving that horror films are capable of having cinematic value. The opening credits were a high point, introducing clever use of art and textbook diagrams of demons that precede the always-haunting “inspired by true events.” The horror elements are too generic, from a little boy with sunken eyes (who appears in the digitally produced black-and-white eight-millimeter film), to the ever-gimmicky opening, closing, and locking of doors on their own.
Overall, the movie offers more unintentional laughs than heart-stopping terror and struggles to fit the mold of a typical horror film. Check it out if you enjoy cheesy entertainment, because the only scares you’ll find here will be from abrupt moments of terribly loud audio.
Overall Grade: C