A Ho-Hum Haunted House Story

sddavis63

If you're looking for anything particularly original from "21 Days" don't waste your time. There really isn't much original. It's a haunted house story. The house has apparently had several owners over the century plus since it's been built. None of them have remained in the house for more than 21 days - and some have ended up dead after leaving. So three young film-makers decide to take up residence in the house, to last the 21 days while documenting their experiences. So, yes, it's also a found footage sort of movie, although it's not all found footage. But there's not really much to this. There are the traditional "things that go bump in the night" sort of events, but really nothing much frightening happens until the last 15 minutes or so. It's a little bit creepy at times, but no more than that. The cast was entirely unknown (to me at least.) I do't think I've ever seen any of the three leads in anything until this. They were all right. Nothing more.

There were some bizarre things about this movie. It opens with the three interviewing a local town historian about the house. I wondered how the local town historian had actual family photographs of the people who had lived in the house - including the most recent family. That in itself seemed a bit weird. And with the house in foreclosure why would the bank allow these kids to do this? And why would they be allowed to literally barricade themselves inside the house so that no one or nothing could get in or out. Sure it works as a plot device - but wouldn't even the local town authorities have some objections to that based on a fire code or something?

Like most movies featuring found footage, there's no real resolution to this. Just a lingering mystery. But because it's a very ho hum movie that doesn't really set itself apart within either genre (haunted house or found footage) it won't be memorable enough for the mystery to remain with you for very long.

Use it as a time waster - but it's no more than that. (4/10)

score 4/10

sddavis63 2 July 2018

Reprint: https://www.imdb.com/review/rw4223309/