Have you ever left a movie and said “that was good” and that’s all you really had to say about it? I in no way mean this as an insult. I enjoyed the movie. It was entertaining, particularly because Jason Todd Ipson, the film’s director, keeps making the very hot Scot Davis run around without his shirt on. (Thanks for the shower scene too!) It was worth the money and effort I spent to see it. Would I say it was one of the great ghost stories of all time? No. Was it a good one? Yes. The story is well constructed, the atmosphere is creepy, and the cast is actually really good. Corri English, in particular, really does a great job, as do Davis’ pecs…sorry I will stop that now before he gets a restraining order on me.
Before we get too far into this, let me just say, I hate doing plot summaries. So, if you still don’t know what the movie’s about, then look it up on imdb or read our interview with Jason Todd Ipson here. I’d rather discuss it than write a synopsis because, quite frankly, I’m too lazy to do so. With that said, here are the things I enjoyed about it.
First, I liked the pacing of ‘Unrest.’ It was nice to have a movie take the time to build character and plot before it starts offing people. The characters were distinguishable from one another, and each seemed to have his or her own voice. Second, the setting was great. The hospital they used for filming looked really creepy. I loved the way Ipson used the motion lights in the basement hallway to follow Alison (Corri English) as she made her way into the dark abyss. It was a cool effect because, like Alison, you had no idea what was ahead of her. Third, the cadaver tank was awesome. It’s really disturbing to know that cadaver labs actually throw bodies into this sort-of fish tank and remove the bodies with large hooks. The idea to use it as an obstacle for the main characters was a stroke of genius, and something I have never seen done in another film.
However, despite all this, there were a few problems I had with ‘Unrest.’ I felt that once the killing started, we didn’t see enough of it. I understand that this was not a blood bath kind of movie, but as a horror film, it needed a little more gore. I wanted to actually watch one or two of the people get killed so that I could see the power of the spirit a little more fully. I needed something a little more visceral than Alison stumbling onto yet another body. This brings me to my other problem. Why, if there are so many murders happening in this cadaver lab, are classes still being held, and students and faculty permitted to traipse in and out of a crime scene at will? That certain thing happens in ‘Unrest’ that seems to happen in every genre movie, where the heroine turns into Columbo and she is permitted to examine evidence and interview suspects at her discretion. I mean, Alison is a med student correct, not a police detective? I get that she is the hero, so she needs to connect the dots, but why is it so easy? There are virtually no obstacles between Alison and the truth of what’s happening. So much time was spent developing a really great atmosphere, that I wish there was a little more time spent uncovering the clues. She should’ve worked for it a little more. I also didn’t really understand at what point she makes the transition from being an aethist (or agnostic, I’m not really sure) to believing in spirits. This could’ve been fleshed out a little more, in my opinion.
Overall, I really liked ‘Unrest.’ I wasn’t bored at anytime during the movie. I thought the performances were really solid, the cinematography was well done, and the story and atmosphere were nice and creepy. By this point, I think it has left theaters, but when it comes to DVD you should definitely check it out.
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