Next week sees one of the better horror films of 2016 released to blu-ray and dvd.
Since her time spent on The Walking Dead came to a close, Sarah Wayne Callies hasn't done much. She had a role in the terrible Into The Storm and played second fiddle to the self demeaning Nicolas Cage in the horrendous Pay The Ghost, a movie that is eerily similar to The Other Side of the Door. Luckily for Callies, this throwback haunting tale is just spooky enough to qualify as a watchable entry in a dying breed of films. Borrowing plot points from Pet Sematary and the Japanese visual tropes which have been filling cinemas for the past decade, this little movie has classic jump scares, a simplistic but enjoyable plot, and enough freaky imagery to satisfy its core audience.
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| Do you wanna know how I got these scars? |
In a year which has seen the divisive The Witch, the better than average The Boy, and the meandering The Forest, this movie takes us back a couple decades and gives us the core building blocks of a horrifying story. Centered on a tale of a family's loss of a child, The Other Side of the Door relies on the base elements which make up a better than average ghostly story of mourning, loss, and a mother's need to heal. After a perfect build up and little bit of backstory, The Other Side of the Door kicks off with a ton of darkness, creepy locations, and a unique set of ghastly looking natives.
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| Ummm. No. I didn't order a pizza. |
Luckily for fans of the genre, this movie doesn't overuse CGI and relies more heavily on creating tension through the use of music, sound effects, and very little time spent with its silly looking antagonist. Setting up a foundation rooted in basic human fears, The Other Side of the Door hits on emotions that will definitely strike a chord with parents. While this isn't going to win any awards for originality, it's still an extremely watchable movie that doesn't cut any corners and definitely sets itself up for a needless sequel. With great performances from Callies and the always good Jeremy Sisto, this is easily one of the better low budget horror flicks of 2016.
If you're looking for a film to pass the time and enjoy the types of haunting/demonic presence films we used to get, check this one out. It's not the redefinition of the genre, but it's scary enough to send chills down your spine a few times and takes place in a new environment which we've never seen before. As a self professed horror addict, I enjoyed this one way more than I would have expected. Watch it knowing that you've seen most of this before. Rejoice in the fact that Callies is finally getting her due and is given space to carry an entire movie by herself.
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