Review of The Taking of Deborah Logan (2014) by Steve J — 07 Dec 2014

Wonderful performance from Jill Larson in the titular role of a proper old Southern woman suffering from Alzheimer's disease, and from Anne Ramsay as her beleaguered semi-estranged lesbian daughter.

A documentary film crew comes to visit Miss Logan, in order to record the struggles of an ordinary mother and daughter dealing with the debilitating disease. There are some strong sequences here, and the filmmakers display real insight by linking the onscreen frights we witness with the real-life tragedy and horror of disease and senility (which can be harrowing for all members of the family).

What's remarkable isn't just that the film generates dread, but that it also generates a very real sense of despair, which should be familiar to anyone who's ever witnessed the mental and/or physical deterioration of a loved one.

But I docked the film a star for once again indulging in that most tired and headache-inducing of gimmicks, the found footage trope. As for the story itself, it isn't terribly original and the climax foregoes the power of suggestion in favor of some half-assed pyrotechnics, and the confusing, aggravating 'documentary'-style photography doesn't help matters either.

Nevertheless, this is overall a fairly solid horror thriller. I just wonder -- again and again and again -- when filmmakers will learn that you don't need to shake the camera around and diddle with the lights in order to scare your audience.

Alfred Hitchcock, John Carpenter, David Cronenberg, and George Romero have all created terrifying thrillers that have captivated audiences the world over, all without giving people motion sickness, or leaving them wondering just what the hell they're looking at.

I maintain that the found footage sub genre is for filmmakers who don't want to do the work of putting their films together properly. Guys, this does NOT make your film scary; it makes your film sloppy and irritating.

PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, I'm begging you once and for all: STOP.