Retro Review: Grave Encounters
Born in the deluge of the found footage copycats after Paranormal Activity’s success, Grave Encounters mixes the genre with the popular ghost hunting reality format from the time creating something that is well done and sharp witted. Looking back at the past 20 years or so of similar films, it still holds up.
Grave Encounters opens with a producer discussing the situation leading into the footage, insisting everything that is about to be seen is unaltered and one hundred percent real. After the preface, we’re given a standard ghost hunting reality show opening covering some introductions and outlining of the haunt they are about to investigate, with rough edits that let us in on how much they are in on the “reality” of it all, which is to say that it’s all an act. Anyone familiar with Ghost Hunters or the rest of the lot will be right at home with the interviews and set up that we see. The inclusion of multiple cameras constantly recording the group, a standard of the found footage genre, gives us a wonderful look behind the scenes and serves for a lot of laughs as we see how much they believe in what they’re investigating.
We get a tour of the mental hospital they’re being locked in overnight, giving us further backstory on the brutal history. Once it gets dark, they start their hunt. It proves standard with a lot of nothing, until they get some hair touching. From there, it explodes.
Grave Encounters doesn’t have a particularly original plot. It’s found footage mashed up with ghost hunting, two of the most over played ideas at the time of its release. That may be its strength though. With reliable and known ingredients in the formula, the film is able to let its characters thrive.
The film is choked full of cynicism. The characters aren’t true believers and early on you learn that. It’s the perfect foil for when things really start going off the rails and until it does, the disbelief plays for great laughs.
The cast over all is standard stock with a couple of stand outs. The main character, Lance Preston, the leader of the group is confident and determined to a fault. It’s a role that’s been perfected over the iterations with the likes of Heather in The Blair Witch Project and Micah in Paranormal Activity. Sean Rogerson does a solid job of keeping him likeable while pushing everyone further than they want to go. The other strong standout is Mackenzie Gray as Houston, the team’s psychic and demonologist, and also a complete fake. Houston is over the top and over his head very quickly.
This isn’t a high budget film, and for the betterment of it, they utilize what they have well, giving creepy simple moments paired with great shock scenes filled with pure adrenaline. Special effects are limited but not nonexistent and passable still. The rest is kept tightly shot and leaves a certain amount to the imagination and a good amount to practical with great effect.
The story moves swiftly with events building into absolute chaos and confusion. They never try to explain anything that is happening, and it never really feels needed. It’s a rollercoaster ride of a horror movie and doesn’t want to be more than that.
The direction is invisible which is the best complement I can give it, especially given its sub-genre. However it is worth noting the Vicious brothers (Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz) for doing so.
Grave Encounters is a fun and well put together found footage horror film that is a must for anyone that loves the genre.
