Mockingbird (2014) Reviews

• Very Disappointing And Boring

  HorrorOverEverything2014-10-11

  Man was I excited to see this film. Found Footage isn't exactly my cup of tea but this sounded pretty original and I had heard some good things about it. Boy was I mislead, this was a huge disappointment and left me pretty bummed that I had sat through it all. So it starts out pretty interesting. We are introduced to a couple, a woman, and a guy who lives with his mother. They are all given camera's that they are convinced that they won in contests however quickly find out something more sinister is going on. Sounds fun right? Wrong, the problem is that the movie hardly goes anywhere. I could easily sit here and tell you every single thing that happens in the movie in less that 3 minutes, obviously I won't to retain from spoiling but you get my point. The movie was just so dull. The Woman's story basically just consists of her sitting in here house while she receives creepy voice mails. The couple's story play out the same way. The Mommas boy's story is by far the most interesting even though it really isn't all that great, but at least he leaves his house and is required to do some tasks. The ending was incredibly predictable and could be seen coming a mile away. On a positive though the acting was pretty solid throughout. Overall this was just hardly worth my time. It keeps you watching to see the finale, but what it leads up to really is not very good at all. There was a tiny bit of suspense but it is stomped out by the time the credits roll. Very disappointing movie and not really worth it. 3/10

  More

• A hugely disappointing found-footage horror movie from the director of "The Strangers"

  prskalica2014-10-11

  It's funny. I've been on IMDb since 2003 and I haven't written a single review until this one. To be honest with you, I wish I had chosen a better movie to review. Oh, well... Mockingbird is the spiritual sequel to the director's own hit, The Strangers. The plot is quite simple: Four people are given a video-camera and a simple set of instructions, which, of course, turns into a night of terror for everybody involved. The thing with the found-footage movies is that there needs to be a strong reason for all the characters to record everything. REC, Noroi The Curse and Okaruto, the found-footage movies I'd highly recommend to everyone over this one, are a good example of movies that are convincing to the viewers. In Mockingbird, the director Bryan Bertino tries to alleviate this issue by making the cameras impossible to turn off, and also by having them equipped with the receivers which enable the antagonists to see what the main characters are doing. Even with all that, one still cannot shake off the feeling that the characters in this movie would have been better off running the hell out of the house instead of filming everything. The other trouble with the technology in this movie is the following: Bertino set his own movie in 1995, which was a baffling decision since this doesn't have any impact on the plot aside from introducing a huge plot hole - the movie takes course over several hours and the batteries somehow don't run out? And if the movie is set in 1995 and is found-footage, why not film it VHS-style? A huge opportunity missed there. The entire movie is implausible, mostly because the plot depends on the main characters doing stupid things. There is one especially contrived situation involving the clown taking photos of certain two characters which made it really hard to suspend my disbelief. Sadly, it's not the only such scene in the movie. I won't spoil the finale for those who decide to watch the movie, but I'll be shocked if anyone is satisfied with it. It's not only ridiculous, it's downright insulting (for multiple reasons), and therefore doesn't have the impact of the similarly themed The Strangers. Btw, don't believe the highly positive review on Bloody-Disgusting, folks, it's obviously heavily biased. This one is a stinker and I'm not surprised it was shelved for two years before getting a VOD release. The reason why I haven't given the lowest score to this movie is that despite everything, Bertino managed to create a few solid, suspenseful scenes. He clearly has talent for directing and I hope he gets to direct more movies. If only he had written a better script...

  More

• Found footage horror falls short of the mark.

  victoryismineblast2014-10-17

  4/10. Three set of people: a woman, a couple, and a man who lives with his mother are mysteriously given large bulky VHS cameras (it takes place in 1995) on their doorsteps and told to "keep filming." In addition the man is told has been entered in a contest where he can win 10 thousand dollars. This starts out as an interesting premise but doesn't really go anywhere. The woman and the couple stay in their homes as they begin to be terrorized by bangings at the door and sinister telephone calls but are given very little to do. The man is given orders to leave his home and perform a variety of tasks in full clown suit and makeup and this is a little more interesting, but it doesn't really carry the movie. Eventually it all culminates in a twist that I didn't see coming, but thought was full of plot holes and didn't make much sense. I wouldn't necessarily say avoid this one but don't look for anything groundbreaking or very cohesive and entertaining.

  More

• Only the Classical Music Score Saves in This Annoying Movie

  claudio_carvalho2015-11-01

  The middle class Emmy (Audrey Marie Anderson) receives a video camera at home and her husband Tom (Todd Stashwick) starts filming. They believe they won a prize from the mall. The college student Beth (Alexandra Lydon) is alone and bored in the empty campus and also receives a camera. Out of the blue, they are instructed to film and not call the police; otherwise they will die. Meanwhile the unemployed Leonard (Barak Hardley) that lives with his mother receives a clown outfit and make-up and instructions to receive ten thousand dollars. After moments of tension, their lives are tragically entwined. Who is the stranger behind the prank? "Mockingbird" is among the most annoying and stupid movies with shaky camera. The story is not scary but irritating; the plot is not believable; and the conclusion is silly and unrealistic. Only the classical music score saves in this awful movie. My vote is two. Title (Brazil): "Perseguidos Pela Morte" ("Chased by Death")

  More

• Fails to deliver its premise with enough thrills or scares // instagram: moviesmaniax

  moviesmaniax2014-10-13

  What a mess from the director of The Strangers. Keep filming or someone will die, the film actually has an interesting plot and concept but sadly turns into a mess with its ridiculous ending and an insult to the audience The SCARE here is similar to The Strangers and some of the scenes are quite effective and intense in delivering that but don't go in expecting any GORES here. The film starts out pretty interesting and engaging but gets more tiring as it goes and ends with a hugely unsatisfied and stupid twist. Overall, this is one of those found footage films that fails to deliver its premise and enough thrills or scares and is ultimately just a waste of time. >>C-<<

  More