Noctem

The idea sounded very interesting, not exactly new but enough to make one want to see it. The cover looked quite eerie. Also wanted to see how the use of cellphones would fare. So saw 'Noctem' with genuine interest and wanting to at least sort of like it even with many problems.

Seeing it, well 'Noctem' certainly did have many problems. The bad news was that there was not an awful lot good, let alone great, about it, so it was difficult for me to sort of like it, the little that's good being far overshadowed by the bad. Having prepared myself to do that, that was disappointing. Not a terrible film or without redeeming qualities, and there is far worse out there of the genre and overall. Liked the concept for 'Noctem', the execution was just wanting.

'Noctem' at least didn't insult my intelligence. It at least didn't make me angry watching it. Despite giving it a low score and negative review, it even didn't make me regret watching it altogether.

It started off quite promisingly in an unsettling sort of way and the film didn't look too bad considering the type of film it was, not high art which wasn't expected but not amateurish as was feared. The setting was quite spooky at times as was the lighting.

Unfortunately, 'Noctem' did lack tension and suspense and the infrequent creepiness was never that eerie and rather obvious. The script is stilted, the direction tends to be static and there is a lot of overacting from particularly the male cast.

Was let down by the story. Conceptually interesting and wasn't too bad starting, at least too there actually was one, but the dull pace, due to some very uneventful stretches in particularly the middle, and trying to do too much which caused the film to become muddled structurally cheapened things. The characters are flimsily developed and bland even with the overacting. It can feel vague and while nothing is intelligence insulting there is both ridiculousness and trying to take it too seriously.

Summarising, weak but not a catastrophe. 3/10 Bethany Cox