Ghoul owes a whole lot to the Blair Witch Project. Yup, that's still happening.
I actually like found footage movies, when they're done effectively. I thought the storyline, and what transpires throughout Ghoul to be, well, confusing. Also, you jump into this story after the crew has already arrived in the Ukraine to make their doc, with no time dedicated to character development (never mind the next 86 minutes).
Good premise: An American film crew travels to the Ukraine to do a documentary on the 1930's famine, courtesy of Stalin, where some people resorted to cannibalism. They arrange a meeting with the last known survivor, at a house located in the middle of nowhere (uh, cell service and internet, no problem!). I liked the language barrier, in a strange land, you've seen it, but it's an effective trope.
SPOILER Ok, this guy Boris (who is MIA) ate a notorious serial killer's brother (or the killer himself? What about the baby bones? Ouch! They lost me on this plot), these dumb kids summon the killer's spirit (with the help of a Ukranian "witch"), and he is mad, starts scratching people, possessing them, puts crazy stuff on their video, makes some weird noises, unplugs their generator, traps them on the property, has them doing his dirty work (this demon is bossy!), kills them off one by one, then shows up at the very end to make someone eat human flesh?! A lot of stuff comes across as red herring material, or at least nonsensical, especially the wild goose chase this spirit sends them on.
Chock full of found footage tropes (including "why/how on earth are they still filming?"), and at one point very early in the film, one of the documentarians (who? No introductions necessary) turns to the camera and says "Hi" to his Mom and Dad. This short sequence SCREAMED to me they are ALL DOOMED.
Why 4 stars? I dunno, it held me til the end.
I actually like found footage movies, when they're done effectively. I thought the storyline, and what transpires throughout Ghoul to be, well, confusing. Also, you jump into this story after the crew has already arrived in the Ukraine to make their doc, with no time dedicated to character development (never mind the next 86 minutes).
Good premise: An American film crew travels to the Ukraine to do a documentary on the 1930's famine, courtesy of Stalin, where some people resorted to cannibalism. They arrange a meeting with the last known survivor, at a house located in the middle of nowhere (uh, cell service and internet, no problem!). I liked the language barrier, in a strange land, you've seen it, but it's an effective trope.
SPOILER Ok, this guy Boris (who is MIA) ate a notorious serial killer's brother (or the killer himself? What about the baby bones? Ouch! They lost me on this plot), these dumb kids summon the killer's spirit (with the help of a Ukranian "witch"), and he is mad, starts scratching people, possessing them, puts crazy stuff on their video, makes some weird noises, unplugs their generator, traps them on the property, has them doing his dirty work (this demon is bossy!), kills them off one by one, then shows up at the very end to make someone eat human flesh?! A lot of stuff comes across as red herring material, or at least nonsensical, especially the wild goose chase this spirit sends them on.
Chock full of found footage tropes (including "why/how on earth are they still filming?"), and at one point very early in the film, one of the documentarians (who? No introductions necessary) turns to the camera and says "Hi" to his Mom and Dad. This short sequence SCREAMED to me they are ALL DOOMED.
Why 4 stars? I dunno, it held me til the end.