One of 2013's best horror films is released on blu ray today. Here's Michelle's horrific review....
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| "This water tastes gross, but....I.....just.... can't stop drinking it..." |
We Are What We Are is an interesting and chilling entry into
the horror genre. Horror has been saturated with cheesy, jump-scare type films
as of late and it is refreshing to see a more subtle take on fear. The feeling
of dread can be hard to convey and director Jim Mickle does an excellent job
creating a menacing and foreboding atmosphere. Religion is a reoccurring theme
throughout the movie and the story focuses on a close-knit family (with an
overbearing patriarch) that harbors a macabre secret. It plays out like a
mystery of sorts and Hitchcock was definitely an influencing factor.
The cinematography is especially beautiful and each shot is
framed in an interesting way. I felt drawn into the world immediately and
entranced by the mythology inherent in the plot. Some of the story is told with
flashbacks and they are filmed in a dream-like way—it reminded me of Grimm’s
Fairy Tales and it was a cool juxtaposition to the modern setting of the rest
of the movie. Everything is revealed in a slow and methodical way but it never
drags at any point. The movie is just shy of two hours long but they fit a
whole lot of exposition in that running time and it’s well edited. A haunting
violin score perfectly encapsulates the proceedings and the piano accompaniment
is particularly memorable.
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| "Your morning breath is terrible!" |
- Review by Michelle Kisner