Scanialara You won't be disappointed!

TrueJoshNight Truly Dreadful Film

Nonureva Really Surprised!

Michelle Ridley The movie is wonderful and true, an act of love in all its contradictions and complexity

Oli Palmer At first glance, a film titled THE UNFOLDING might suggest some kind of laundry advertisement rather than a haunted house themed horror film. But suspect title aside, this is actually a very welcome effort from writer/producer/director Eugene McGing who has managed to craft a film that could very well be considered the not so distant British cousin to PARANORMAL ACTIVITY. Of course, the impact that this statement will have on the potential viewer will depend largely on whether or not they were a fan of the first PARANORMAL ACTIVITY film.Tam (Nieboer) and his girlfriend Rose (Kerr) are off to Dartmoor to stay in a centuries old house where Tam hopes to obtain evidence of paranormal goings-on. Meanwhile the world stands on the brink of nuclear war, as radio transmissions continue to discuss an impending catastrophic event. Eventually the couple realise there may well be more going on here than just a few bumps in the night so they call in the help of Tam's professor (Daws) and a medium (McGeever) in the hopes of tackling a potential evil that appears to have taken a focus towards Rose.Horror films, and particularly haunted house films, tend to get a bad rep these days for falling into instances of cliché. These clichés may well include loud bangs on the walls, stuff going on in the basement, people feeling 'a presence', and in this day and age of the handheld found-footage style, let's not forget the camera getting knocked over or the quality crackling when something's amiss. While it cannot be denied THE UNFOLDING has all these elements in its story, it's the way it presents itself that gives the clichés a sense of freshness. You may have seen most of these things before, but they will not have been used as effectively as they are here.In some ways the small budget actually works as a blessing in disguise. McGinn and co. make the best of what they have to work with, and in doing so they add an extra sense of familiarity to proceedings. This really does look like someone's home video rather than the staged antics of some other found footage efforts. It makes the events just that little bit more unsettling.There is jump scares of course, but there's also a sense that the film is allowed to develop at a good pace which allows the suspense to build naturally. The consistent radio transmissions warning of an impending nuclear strike is a really nice touch, it ramps up the tension and ensures the sense that nowhere is safe. As one character keenly puts it: "with everything going on in the world, this house is probably the safest place to be". Oh Christ.There is a real commitment from the actors here, which really heightens the sense of dread when the proverbial starts hitting the fan. Lisa Kerr in particular plays Rose with just the right amount of vulnerability that ensures she doesn't border into helplessness. Similarly Lachlan Nieboer is engaging and committed in his role, even if the script dictates he is sidelined during some of the film's juiciest moments. The only distraction is Nick Julian's role of Harvey. He shows up unannounced without much motive and just seems a bit shoehorned into the plot, not really serving much purpose. It would seem it could have been more effective to have not had the character at all, thus elevating the vulnerabilities of the two central characters.THE UNFOLDING does not break new ground in found-footage horror, but what it does have is a very committed cast, a very confident director in McGing and some very nice subtle touches that really elevate the tension of the spooky goings-on, and sometimes that's all you need.

Eris Chaos I had such high hopes for this film.Potentially something fresh and stand out amidst the mediocre horror on offer on netflix. The idea of a supernatural thriller set against a back drop of impending nuclear war.I honestly had no idea there was a nuclear war going on but for cursory worried mutterings and snatches of television and radio doomsaying. Soon the hope of seeing something fresh and exciting was dashed when an all too familiar line up of stock characters and clichés appeared in the middle aged psychic, cooky professor, empathetic female lead and to be honest boring and watered down male lead. As the film reached its climax, the inevitable nuclear war, I was hoping for a twist that would have validated the 1hr 30 mins i'd wasted on this film but no. Just bland SFX and no real explanation. Don't bother with this one.

n_a_hirst I don't think there's a horror film that me and my wife hasn't seen in the past 10 years (maybe more as she's a real addict). If you are looking for a film that is truly scary, this is the one for you... lights off and be prepared for some jumpy momentsI have given this film 10 / 10 - I have never seen my wife scream and jump like she did several times whilst watching this film... she and I both loved it.Great story line, acting and as I say the scares are phenomenal... even if I did have to escort my wife to the loo three times last nightHope the director sticks to this Genre and replicates the success he has achieved in this film.

Paolo-15 The Unfolding is part of the second wave of Frighfest's video-on- demand releases, and along with the other British film The Lesson, are much more interesting choices than the first wave.The Unfolding is a haunted house story, told via surveillance cameras and camcorders. Yes the concept may not be original, but everything else in this film is of the highest quality. From the opening sequence which has you peering into the mist to try and see the black dog, you know you are in the hands of a team of competent film-makers.There is no annoying shaky camera stuff here. The well framed shots and monochrome texture evokes the infra-red haunted house photographs of Simon Marsden. But it's the sound design that is especially effective – creating the eerie atmosphere of muffled cries and barely audible whispers and then to deliver the film's several jump-out-your-seat scares.It all sets the stage for a really big finale – which will have you catching your breath.