Review of Regression (2015) by Johnny T — 30 Mar 2016

This carefully-crafted tale of collective psychosis, satanic ritual abuse and pseudo-science, starring Ethan Hawke and Emma Watson, is satisfying as a compact, if over-cautious, horror-tinged psychological thriller. But it's most interesting beneath its polished, doomy surface, where complex concerns about the cultural origins of our fears are skillfully explored. While Regression does, for the most part, deliver simmering suspense - and with Watson and Thewlis together, it's fun (and weird) to see a mini-Harry Potter reunion - the script often falls flat, and the film sometimes leans too heavily on the score to telegraph an ominous tone. The material is simply too thin to support a 106-minute-long version of this story without veering into boredom as the path to the confession is a tediously predictable one. The paranoia makes for an engaging mystery, full of bizarre accounts of devil worship. Hawke anchors the film as a cop who descends deeper and deeper into the monstrous, violent world he's uncovered. Character, rather than story, is Regression's strong suit, especially in the mismatched buddy act between Kenner and Raines. Amenabar wields enough control over his craft here to stoke hopes for a more spirited return to genre filmmaking; as it is, Regression is likely to remain a largely unretrieved memory.

VERDICT: "In The Zone" - [Mixed Reaction] These kinds of movies are usually movies that had some good things, but some bad things kept it from being amazing. This rating says buy an ex-rental or a cheap price of the DVD to own. If you consider cinema, ask for people's opinion on the film. (Films that are rated 2.5 or 3 stars).