Review of The Bye Bye Man (2017) by Will L — 17 Jan 2017

For all the criticism this film has received, it had incredible turnout it's opening weekend for a picture not backed by a major studio. Even oscar-caliber films are criticized for every inconceivable flaw, and what is silly is how much criticism this film is receiving when it is the combined efforts of two underground artists, a director and a writer, who happen to be married, and who also happened to get their picture not just produced, but edited, budgeted, and displayed to sold-out showings across the country, which is remarkable, considering it is a thriller/slasher/horror genre film being released in an off season for that genre.

The builds are dynamic, not just in plot, but in each character. Though the supporting characters do not have detailed back stories like that of the protagonist's, they are just as relatable, which makes for a symphony of interacting stories and perceptions between all four of the main characters as they begin to lose their ability to distinguish between reality and insanity.

The detailed shots took nothing for granted; the smallest of intricacies were honored, and pacing was playfully anticipatory and individual. Every once in a while you would get a very "Lynchian" or "Kubrick" style-shot, with enlongated sequences that had everyone in the theater holding their breath, waiting for something to pop out, as you follow this little girl, or follow this person into the dark. The pacing was such that you could never predict when things were going to happen, which to me, is a benchmark of a good horror film.

The jumps were not relied upon, but rather planned so carefully, that for rows in front of me, I could see the entire theater jump, and sometimes people even let out shocked bloodcurdling screams. The ending left people gasping, and what was remarkable to me was that even after the major plot twist (which is brilliantly crafted, in writing, and in the shot itself), the ending is still done in a way that leaves the viewer biting their nails, begging the protagonist to be strong, as if they were in his shoes themselves.

These "plot holes" people are describing are actually brilliantly placed. Whether it is the legend of the slender man, or the boogyman, or whatever it be; the mystery of the title character is what makes him the epitome of human terror: he is only personified through the perspective of the person witnessing his presence, and since fear is a product of only our mind's worst imagination of unknowns, I think this film in fact does exemplary justice to the fear category of film making. What cannot be denied is that in the smallest details of this film there is unparalleled symbolism, even the professor's small speech in the background of one character's building nightmare has dialogue that contains key and often overlooked plot points and brilliant writing that only adds to the detailed symbolism of this film that speaks so much to the nature of the concept of fear. I won't spoil any surprises, but I will say that this story displays how effectively fear works on the strength of a human mind. It is compelling storytelling that has you hoping as if you were in the main character's shoes, trying with all your might to be as mentally strong as to overcome your own sanity. Despite the fact that this was the lovechild of two artists who actually made a film happen, it's a film that stands, for every detail from it's writing to it's character builds to it's cinematic excellence. Highly underrated effort, and a beautiful homage to classic horror/slasher genre. I highly recommend giving The Bye Bye Man a chance, don't believe everything you read online, everyone loves to criticize, but so few people consider all factors of what makes a film worth watching.