With Halloween Ends proving something of a badly smashed pumpkin, there’s still two weeks until Halloween itself, so scary stories are at a premium. Although the poster looks fairly conventional as a horror pic, Blumhouse director Jacob Estes throws out a very disconcerting, elliptical and rather effective post-modern found-footage movie with He’s Watching. If you don’t like murk, phone screens and shaky cam, stay away, but there’s enough originality on show to make He’s Watching worth pointing out to genre fans.
There’s been a pandemic, worse, much worse than the one we’re still living through. Adults die abruptly, but children do not; two moppets (played by Estes’ own kids) wait at home, hoping that their parents will return from hospital. They send video clips and mini-movies to their dad, who is reportedly in a coma; he’s a horror movie director, and the house is full of props and posters which reflect his macabre taste. When the kids start making movies themselves, they realise that someone or something is in the house with them, and the fact and fiction of the kids’ situation gets a little…distorted.
So while we get staples like creepy dolls, creepy kids drawings, creepy faces looking out from closets, a teenage girl trying to defend a young boy from a masked killer, it’s hard to discern which sequences are deliberately faked by the kids or copied from other films. Narrative thrust inevitably gets a bit broken-down in the ensuing melange, but picks up for a sequence or two in which the kids find objects from around the house and imagine that they are in communication with a Demon called the Wanderer, the subject of one of their father’s films.
He’s Watching is frustrating at times, and the ending plays a little too pleased with itself for spinning out such a slender yarn at such length. But it’s also an ingenious and original film that asks fresh questions about the legacy of watching horror. Like Nope, or Starry Eyes, He’s Watching takes a caustic view of the abyss of darkness that is the modern entertainment industry, ready to pounce on our souls just when we think we’ve made it.
Thanks to Blue Finch for advance access.
Blue Finch Film Releasing presents He’s Watching on Digital Download 17 October 2022.
Done with the whole found-footage thing althoug this does have an interesting concept. I wonder if it would work as well just with kids familiar through the father’s work with the whole horror metier.
That self-referential thing both works for and hobbles this, but it’s not disinteresting…
If there was nothing else on at the cinema and it was playing I would have gone despite my reervations.
First time I’ve seen the trailer. It sounds like it is admirable from a conceptual view but it didn’t stick the landing. I agree with Alex that it sounds very much like it may be too clever and/or lack self-awareness.
There were points where I was dusting off the superlatives, but ultimately it did feel that they made something out of almost nothing. It’s remarkable in some ways, but the payoff won’t leave you punching the air…
“If you don’t like murk, phone screens and shaky cam, stay away….”
Consider me running screaming in the opposite direction…..!
That’s what these grim warnings are meant to do! Save yourself!
That’s right. You’ll never catch me running towards the monster !
Is the correct answer!
What if the monster has candy? Or a free iPhone XXXIII?
Enquiring minds want to know!
I’m prepared to allow special dispensation to monsters bearing gifts…
Excellent. I shall keep an eye out for scary monsters bearing gifts and send them over to Melanie. Wouldn’t want to hog all the good stuff to myself 😀
You are incorrigible today. Multiple levels of profundity. A social media masterclass.
Yep, life is good at the moment and so I am seizing it by its ye old throate and taking every drop of life that I can.
So expect the down plummet later this week as I bemoan the utter lack of meaning in the entire universe and wail about my woes because my piece of candy was smaller than Mrs B’s. Or something similar
’cause that’s how I roooooollllll…..
Life is a rollercoaster…
and I’m not “that” tall or wearing my seat belt.
As Calvin from Calvin & Hobbes would say, “I’m going for the gusto!” today…
I’ll make a note to pick you up on the flip-side.
Thanks. I can already tell I’m going to need some serious backup 😀
Absolutely not falling for that. No way no how.
But….exactly HOW MUCH candy are we talking about, hypothetically?
Hypothetically speaking? I’d say a dump truck’s load. The monster is driving it. You can see him there in the cab, he’s wearing his seatbelt and hardhat even. That’s how you know he’s a good monster.
Until he tries to run you over anyway 😉
Tears in my eyes to be able to host a discussion like this. Who says this isn’t a serious film website?
Hands across the Ocean!
I’m so inspired by us right now….
That what I want to say
Nope. Obviously.
Will be reviewing Nope soon.
About time really.
So hazmat suits don’t stop this movie plague eh? I guess audiences should have taken warning, hahahaa 😀
I’m wearing a hazmat suit right now, what’s your problem?
You forgot to add the ever jocular ‘bunty’ to your statement 🙂
Don’t let them trample your dreams, Bunty!
That’s more like it!
Normally I’d say this is in my wheelhouse, but it sounds like it’s trying to be a bit too clever. Then again, the whole found-footage thing has been dead for ten years or so and I guess they had to try something different. Was wondering when they’d go full meta.
It’s like me making a film about me watching the film, and you making a film about making a comment about my review. It certainly does something that moves found footage somewhere new, and the scares are good enough. But unploughed ground can be tough…