Review of The Bay (2012) by Gary N — 01 Sep 2013

Another "found footage" documentary style horror movie-but with an ecological twist. Reading some of the publics comments about it not being a great horror, not realistic or boring left me slightly mystified.

True, the found footage format is a little tired out and over used, but this offers a relatively different take. One thing it fails to do is make you care or worry about anyone in it-which is common place in such movies as there is no emotional attachment to the numerous "Doc" stock characters.

Criticism about the reality of it is also misplaced. The idea that wanton industrial pollution of our waters could lead to an ecological disaster are already factual. In this case, parasitic organisms that enter a host as larvae and grow into formidable flesh-eating bugs is quite real.

Some of the footage in the film shows these creatures secreted inside a fish gullet-eating it from the jnside out -no FX needed for that shot! The only leap of belief is could these "isopods" do the same to us humans.

The film is directed by none other than Barry "Rain Man" Levinson. It was his idea to transfer the actual water pollution of this real bay into an eco-horror and for the most part it works well on a relatively low budget.

My only gripe was the annoying female reporter who composes the tale via an Internet blog to reveal the "truth" that has been hidden by the government. Her voice and manner grate but luckily the execution of the rest is decent.

The Eco-message is clear-and given that the stock news footage of thousands of dead fish for the Bay is real-something we should not ignore.