Every Cut is a Lie: M. Night Shyamalan, Found Footage and The Visit

Not long after M. Night Shyamalan’s Sixth Sense opened in 1999, my parents dragged my brother along to the theatre to watch it because “we had to see it.” They’d seen it already, of course, and I suspect their second visit was as much motivated by analysing the construction of the film’s famous twist as…

Willow Creek (2013)

Willow Creek seems destined to disappoint hardcore horror fans. This found footage film lacks the grotesque gore or spark of originality that horror fans search for, but that doesn’t necessarily render the film ineffective. The film is constructed from Blair Witch Project blueprints with few departures, as Kelly (Alexie Gilmore) and Jim (Bryce Johnson) head…

Hatchet II (2011)

Story: Hatchet II retells and reconfigures Victor Crowley’s origin story, which seems fitting given the recasting of MaryBeth (the first film’s Final Girl) and the way its chief inspiration, the Friday the 13th series, would reinvent Jason Voorhees with each sequel. The main plotline is a double-edged revenge story (for MaryBeth and Victor) which is…