That Was Easy

The Inside Review

The Inside

When done right, found footage films can be extremely effective in scaring the daylights out of viewers. The Blair Witch Project seemed to do a pretty good job of this years ago, and it seems filmmakers have been trying to live up to the standards of that film ever since. One film that surely does a great job of scoring high on the ‘creepy meter’ is The Inside, directed by Eoin Macken.

A group of girls take their friend to an abandoned warehouse as a surprise to celebrate her birthday. They are suddenly attacked by a group of men who seem like the lowest of the low… until something else makes its presence known, as well. What starts out as a good old celebration quickly turns into a nightmare.

This brief film synopsis doesn’t quite cover everything presented in The Inside. Everything mentioned there is actually recounted while a man watches a tape that was still inside a video camera that he purchased secondhand from a pawn shop. After viewing the grisly footage, he decides to retrace the girls’ steps and see the aftermath in person.

I’m sure if I was to be put into a situation at all similar to what we see here, I’d be the biggest wuss of all, hysterical and hiding in the fetal position in a corner somewhere. Unfortunately, that doesn’t translate well on-screen in a horror film and doesn’t provide much entertainment. While that isn’t exactly what happens here, I still have some issues with some of the decisions made by the director and his team. On one hand, the reactions of these young, terrified girls was really quite realistic. While that is a great thing from an actor’s perspective, it doesn’t work well enough in a found footage film. Even though I’m sure they’d be blubbering babies in a situation of this stature, it is highly annoying to watch for 90 minutes. The camera wasn’t held still for one second, leaving me rather nauseous, and I couldn’t understand a word these girls were saying for a large portion of the film.

On top of this, not very much was explained in the end. The Inside left me scratching my head, as its credits rolled and I had more questions than I had answers… where was that crying baby we kept hearing? What exactly was this supernatural, strange being that was torturing and killing everyone?

Even with those questions left unanswered and the irritating incoherence of the girls, The Inside was rather successful at creating an extremely frightening atmosphere. The warehouse chosen for the filming of this production was perfect and I’m sure even being fully lit and viewed by HD cameras, this is not a place I’d want to hang out or explore. The myriad of staircases, doorways, and underground basement tunnels would surely raise the hair on anyone’s neck, and that’s without even being chased by an unknown figure. Add that into the mix and you have yourself one of the most horrifying setups for a film I’ve seen in a long time.

If you are a supporter of independent horror and want to add one more film to your found footage collection, give The Inside a fair chance. You can catch the film now on VOD or purchase a DVD copy from Revolver Entertainment’s official site. Watch the film and share your thoughts with us in the comments below!

I give this film 2.5 rocks to the head out of 5.

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