The movie "Jezabel" (the reviews of which are diametrically opposed) is a horror movie with elements of the thriller of the novice director Kevin Grotert (ex-director of the sensational franchise "Saw"). The film was shot according to the script of the film playwright Robert Ben Garant (“Night at the Museum”, “Infernal Child”).
Creators. Background
An experienced and sought-after editor, master of his craft Kevin Grotert decided to retrain as a director at the end of the 2000s. At that time, the creators of the Pila horror cycle risked entrusting him with the production of the last two parts of the franchise - the sixth and seventh, because he had mounted the previous parts (from the first to the fifth). The director couldn’t pull the terrible epic out of stagnation, but he didn’t hit the dirt and didn’t stop directing after Saw, but, on the contrary, signed, among other things, a contract with Jason Blum’s studio Blumhouse, which produced Jezabel. Reviews of his work caused mixed reviews, including negative ones.
Trying to update a worn plot
The ex-editor’s attempt to transform the well-known horror franchise “Saw” into a unique story about the “haunted house with a ghost” was unsuccessful, but it’s impossible to call it exclusively failure. It seems that when filming "Jezabel" (reviews by film critics confirm this fact), the director himself was completely stuck in a cliche that he tried to deal with, offering the viewer an unexpected denouement to his story. There are no bloody scenes and chilling horrors in the film, instead of all this, the tormentor unfolds in all details the emotional torment of the heroine, who has not recovered from the accident and was scared to death by the presence of a certain cast. Nevertheless, the horror film "Jezabel" can boast of its sinister atmosphere, although nature helped Grotert in this, as the swamps definitely do not have any carefree fun. And the characters in the movie are far from positive.
Confidence in armor piercing
Alas, about Jezabel, critics' reviews were rarely laudatory. The film critics spoke even less good about the picture than about the final parts of The Saw, Grotert was accused of excessive self-confidence and an unshakable faith in the armor-piercing of the final twist of the film. Specialists-filmmakers did not understand why he was not trying to stir up interest, to “entertain” the viewer in the main time of the timing of the Jezabel film. Reviews noted a deplorable fact - instead of meeting with evil traditional for the genre and evenly distributed throughout the plot exciting moments, the beholder received an extended family drama. Few connoisseurs of the genre enjoyed watching the main character Jesse (Sarah Snook), chained to a wheelchair, watch old video clips recorded by her pregnant mother, conduct conversations with youthful love - Preston (Mark Webber), trying to put together a gloomy story his birth.
Central characters
The horror film "Jezabel" has an undeniable merit - starring sunny Sarah Snook. The actress decided to follow in the footsteps of her colleagues in the workshop - Naomi Watts and Nicole Kidman, who at one time boldly threw themselves into the abyss of the nightmare of their heroines. She managed to create a convincing image of a girl suffering from mental and physical trauma and attacks of otherworldly forces at the same time. The film "Jezabel" gave the viewer a meeting with Mark Webber, who looked good next to Sarah. Mark Webber once again confirmed his professionalism, after almost alone having saved the remake of the thriller “13 Sins” from failure. And the touching at first and creepy closer to the finale role of the mother of the main character went to Joel Carter, her character is the key in the plot of the movie. “Jezabel” reviews of the film are called Kevin Grotert’s unsuccessful attempt to become the new Polanski, the director probably didn’t even decide for himself what exactly he was shooting - psychological thriller a la 80s or modern horror. But for the viscous atmosphere and Sarah Snook it is worth sincerely thanking him.
Screenwriter mistake?
The horror film "Jezabel" moviegoers accused of criticizing the weak structure of the script. Although throughout the timekeeping the presence of a certain secret, understatement is felt, for some reason everything did not fall into place at all, there were not enough important components, details. The picture did not hold in terrible tension, did not cause an inexorable flurry of emotions - perhaps because screenwriter Robert Ben Garant worked on family films before the project like the franchise "Night at the Museum" or the animated film "The Adventures of Mr. Peabody and Sherman." His script for the painting "Infernal Child" - a horror comedy - was the only one close to the theme of horror. Perhaps that is why the script in which the film "Jezabel" was shot is a bit weak, because the film dramatist first worked on a serious and sinister story. The best, of course, is ahead!
Horror Attributes
Analyzing the picture "Jezabel", reviews of the film, written by simple townsfolk, not by experts, you understand - the project has all the necessary attributes of a horror. The main character is tortured with an enviable frequency by a strange dark figure, screaming and spreading her arms at the slightest opportunity. In other episodes, Jesse, and with her the viewer, are scared by cloudy shadows, reflections, and the scene at the Voodoo cemetery, when the main character and her friend dig up and open a small coffin, impressive. But along with this, the director doesn’t so much frighten the beholder as he gradually builds up an atmosphere of sticky, viscous horror, surrounded by black swamps in the gleams of flickering torches. The film "Jezabel" has an atmosphere that is quite working, but, unfortunately, in this case at idle.
Carbon copy?
Unfortunately, the horror genre is currently in the unenviable position of the still beloved, but already pretty battered and exhausted direction of cinema. It seems that glorious times and achievements are behind us, but the prospects are far from bright. The last impressive monster, for some iconic, appeared in the past millennium, and even he was a fragile Japanese brunette in a long nightgown. In fairness, it is worth noting that good pictures - representatives of the genre come out one at a time, but are not able to influence the general situation. Most modern films are a set of well-known and annoying cliches, without a grain of originality, originality and innovation.
Jezabel Genre Stamps
Criticism reviews of the film indicate elements present in the film, analogues of which the viewer can see in other similar projects:
- The scene is a ghost house. A very popular element was used in The Curse, The Other, The Paranormal, The Curse, etc.
- Setting - the mysterious swamps of Louisiana mixed with voodoo. A similar viewer observed in “The Key to All Doors” and in “Woman in Black 1.2”.
- The main character is a young girl, for the utter hopelessness, confined to a wheelchair, as in Astral 3, Oculus, Unborn, etc. Not a beauty, but cute, arousing sympathy in women, interest in men with good perspectives and invariably deep neckline.
- The main intrigue is a dark, terrible secret from the past.
- Minor characters: the father of the main character is a stern elderly man who knows a lot, but does not tell anything; ex-lover - knows nothing, but is ready to help the protagonist, forgetting about his wife, work and previous measured life.
- The embodiment of evil - a ghost - is frankly lazy, appears around the 20th minute of timing and is not very keen on scaring the main character. It takes active hostile actions only three times, the rest of the time it is limited by presence.
In principle, the horror concept of the painting with an admixture of the detective line is wonderful, but its implementation (assembled from proven techniques and ready-made solutions), coupled with an “unexpected outcome” in the best traditions of the genre, falls short of a masterpiece.