Bodom (2014) Reviews

• Good premise, but it ends as an average found footage film

  luke_89982015-02-20

  Not very often can one watch a European found footage film; I had the opportunity to watch it on a horror festival. As this is my first review, I try to be pithy. Though the story involves the Bodom murders that happened in Finland in 1960, this one was made in Hungary on a very low budget. Bodom is ready to hold your attention as well as it works with more emphasis on slow burn horror - see the documentary parts. The twist at the end was a good one, but the longer we follow the characters the less originality we can find. Mostly, the actors were just tolerable, while cinematography was clearly a strong point despite the genre. Bodom is neither a remarkable success, nor an unforgettable film, but lovers of the genre will definitely like it.

• A Physiological Horror Movie

  sarbee532014-12-04

  When first being introduced to this movie, I was told it was a horror movie. When we first think of horror movies we think of blood and gore and people being killed or attacked. These types of horror movies can get predictable and lose their sense of "scary". Bodom was original in the sense that it was a physiological horror. It made you think throughout the entire film, and when the film is about over and you think you understand the main character, there is plot twist that makes you question your previous thoughts. I enjoyed the angle from what the movie took place, by going through the perspective of two students doing a simple thesis on the mystery at Bodom. Originally I knew nothing about the mystery in Bodom, but this spiked my interested to learn more. When real-life murders are incorporated into movies especially horrors, many times the directors base the entire movie around it and almost imitate it. I found this horror movie to be refreshing in a sense that the movie was based around the mystery at Bodom, but it wasn't a reincarnation of the events. I highly suggest anyone who find horror movies to be bland and predictable to watch this movie in order to renew your faith that there ARE horror movies out there that will make you think even days after watching.

• Found footage done right!

  toshka2102015-01-31

  I went into this film completely blind. I had no idea about the myths or anything considering Lake Bodom. What really shocked me about the film was the fact that it ended up being absolutely the opposite of what I was expecting. I went into the film expecting a paranormal type film but ended up getting something completely different and unique. The Acting from everyone was good. They got into their characters pretty well,especially due to the whole documentary/interview style opening and continuation of the film itself. One thing that this film nailed was creating a sense of dread. Right from the get go I was feeling that something is not right,even though in the film everything was normal. The way the characters entered the old cabin house I could tell that there was something wrong with the atmosphere. One thing I was worried about was the ending,since most found footage films end up having an ending that doesn't quite pay off but here I thought it fit very well,even though there were some scenes that could have not been included, I think that it really added to the films atmosphere and served as a very well deserved "Final Punch" if you may... All in all, I highly recommend this film to everyone that loves experiencing a film that makes you feel dirty and disturbed inside. There are no loud bangs,no cheap sound effects,just the sound of people and nature mixing together to form the ultimate disturbing experience. 9/10