The Other Side of the Door (D or 1/4 stars)
Maria (Sarah Wayne Callies) becomes racked with guilt after losing her son, Oliver (Logan Creran), in a tragic accident in 'The Other Side of the Door' (directed & co-written by Johannes Roberts). By way of their creepy Indian servant, Piki (Suchitra Pillai), bereft Maria & her husband, Michael (Jeremy Sisto), comes to learn about a remote Hindu temple in Mumbai, India, where the visitors can communicate with the dead to say their last goodbyes. The grieving mother violates a stern warning to never open up the ancient door that serves as a mysterious portal btwn. 2 worlds. Her not following the rules causes young Oliver's agitated spirit to come home in monster form to haunt & terrify the rest of his family; including sister, Lucy (Sofia Rosinsky).
Though there are isolated moments that provide tension or eerie visuals, this is one heck of a creaky 'thriller' that relies far too much on ineffective jump scares & not enough on India's mystical atmosphere {it could have been filmed anywhere ... which is a big miss}. As a psychological study of a mother in grief, the film works ... best? But that's not saying much, at all. Once it turns into a tale of demonic possession, it sinks. The premise of non-sensical. Plot points are riddled with horror cliches. The execution is shoddy {some of the CGI creatures look ridiculous}. And I ultimately didn't care about anything going on. Worst sin of all: it isn't scary. I don't even think that die hard horror flick fans would find many positives, here.
Though there are isolated moments that provide tension or eerie visuals, this is one heck of a creaky 'thriller' that relies far too much on ineffective jump scares & not enough on India's mystical atmosphere {it could have been filmed anywhere ... which is a big miss}. As a psychological study of a mother in grief, the film works ... best? But that's not saying much, at all. Once it turns into a tale of demonic possession, it sinks. The premise of non-sensical. Plot points are riddled with horror cliches. The execution is shoddy {some of the CGI creatures look ridiculous}. And I ultimately didn't care about anything going on. Worst sin of all: it isn't scary. I don't even think that die hard horror flick fans would find many positives, here.