Review of The Bay (2012) by Ted W — 06 Apr 2013

Great idea for a horror film, but it lacks originality and real scares. The Bay is yet another documentary style horror film that we've seen many times before. The film is mediocre and lacks anything really engaging.

The problem with this genre is that it's over done. Filmmakers tend to recycle the same formula and in turn the material on-screen suffers significantly in terms of telling something that is supposed to be truly suspenseful and terrifying.

The found footage genre is overdone and pointless. The last good film in this horror genre was V/H/S, and in my opinion, they should have ended that genre with that film. The problem with The Bay is that it is a predictable film and you know how it will turn out.

There simply isn't anything worthwhile here to make it a truly good horror yarn. I really wanted to enjoy, unfortunately, this was yet another unsatisfying found footage film that is clichéd and scare free.

This film was produced by the same guys who created the Paranormal Activity films, and though the first three films in that series were genuinely scary, the formula that the filmmakers keep using becomes tiresome and all too predictable.

There's only so much you can do with this formula before it becomes boring. The formula worked well with Paranormal Activity and other films. However with The Bay, it just doesn't deliver and it is a bland affair with no genuine scares and in turn it becomes a tiresome, dull horror film that just doesn't terrify.

I really expected a great film with this one; unfortunately it is a mediocre horror film that will disappoint you if you're looking for something fresh to watch. The Bay contains scenes that we've seen many times before and it ventures into old territory that simply isn't interesting due to a lacking script that relies on a clichéd idea that cheats the audience.

Stick with the older found footage film as they're far better than this.