Review of The Other Side of the Door (2016) by Johnny T — 13 Jun 2016

A solid haunting-possession movie with good character work and unusual local colour, this works in a few surprises, sufficient scares and a nicely barbed punchline. There are no prizes for guessing what happens, but it's a smart scary movie that relies on atmosphere and characterisation - not just jump-scares - for its effect. Though it borrows from Pet Sematary and other chillers and doesn't offer much in the way of fresh scares, this effective ghostly horror movie works thanks to characters with strong emotional centers. It putters along through the story notes that you'd expect, but strong performances and direction make for a solid ghost story. Callies is a forceful yet fragile lead, especially when playing opposite the refreshingly natural (and sometimes really creepy) Rosinsky. For extra horror, the Myrtu (Javier Botet, the creature specialist who played Mama), a six-armed deity unleashed when the door was opened, also makes alarming appearances with jump scares aplenty, with Roberts biding his time when building suspense. Though you may exit The Other Side of the Door questioning the rules of the ritual, whilst you're in the midst of its dark embrace it's reliably creepy. This supernatural tale about a grieving mother mixes high-tension moments with patient characterisation to form a clever, capable chiller.

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).