The Forgotten (2014) Reviews

• One to watch ...

  parry_na2016-05-12

  This is a really enjoyable slow-burning ghost story, which utilises elements I really like. An abandoned tower-block, familiar surroundings given a very sinister leaning, social decay, understated performances and no reliance on special effects. Instead, the story – a not totally original one, involving the spirit of a murderer inhabiting a derelict building – is leisurely paced, letting us into the lives, strengths and weaknesses of the characters before placing them into convincingly staged dark jeopardy. Elarica Johnson plays Carmen, initially hardened and distant; Clem Tibber plays Timmy, a sensitive loner living in a rough world; Shaun Dingwall plays his father Mark, forever up to no good; Lyndsey Marshal is Timmy's mum Sarah, who is either mad, or the sanest one of them all. One thing many of the players have in common is their incipient monosyllabic, basic communication, as if the act of speaking is a weakness that needs to be completed as quickly as possible. The jerky secrecy of their every brief conversation eventually gives way to a more comfortable discourse, as familiarity sets in – but with Timmy especially, it was difficult to tell if he is played by a stilted actor, or he's very convincingly playing a social inadequate (or rather an over-adequate in a world in which he does not fit in). Another factor in Timmy's shyness is his guilty talent – he is a proficient sketcher. His picture of Carmen, with whom he strikes a very poignant friendship, is used very well in the deliberately muddy finale. It is this 'muddiness' that helps make the story's resolution lift the film up beyond even its own impressive earlier stages. The frustration of not knowing – and the characters not knowing – what has happened to Carmen reminds us how sensitively the character is played, and the sadness outlives the horror. As Carmen mellows, Mark becomes darker, with dire consequences. Many of the events take place in near silence, with little more than the ever present low moan of night breeze echoing through the ruined corridors. This is a tremendous exercise in minimalism and intimacy, and works really well on both levels.

• One to remember........

  FlashCallahan2016-05-08

  Tommy is a fourteen-year-old boy that is forced to live with his father Mark, after his mother has a nervous breakdown. He's grieved when he learns that his father is one of several squatters living in an empty council estate destined for demolition, but tries to make the best of it. Tommy finds himself waking up each night by strange noises and on one occasion, finds that he and all of his belongings have been dragged from one side of the room to the other. Growing ever more terrified, Tommy tries to talk to his father but finds that his father is becoming ever more bizarre and disturbing in personality........ Setting a supernatural horror/thriller film in a rundown block of flats in an urban area is always, in my humble opinion, a good move, because you already have an element of tension before the main story arc kicks in. And it really helps that the film has one of the most unsettling opening scenes in recent memory, nothing but a black screen, and a call of distress. It's obviously going to have something to do with the eerie going ones in the block of flats, but it's effective nevertheless. As characterisation goes, it's your atypical cast of urbanites. We have your 14 year old main protagonist, quiet and shy, but he has that abhorrent voice trait like he wants to be some kind of gangster. Then we have the sassy girl who is a bit funny with him at first, but becomes really endeared to him, but also thinks it's still 1996 and girl power is an actual way of life. Dad has a sinister side to him, and no matter how Albert Square the writer tries to make him, whenever he is on scree, you cannot shake the fact that he has some ulterior motive that is imperative to the whole narrative. And this is why the film works so well. It's doesn't, for the first two acts anyway, try to be anything other than a straightforward haunted house movie, and its to its credit. I doesn't reveal anything, other than the noises become louder, and Tommy is left alone by his dad for longer. Because of the gritty aspect of the films setting, and the fact that the writer had a reality check by including 'real' people as characters rather than having well to do people as protagonists, like Hollywood does in every single quiet......quiet....bang film they churn out every week. But then the third act happens, and revelations are, well, revealed, and a wonderful two acts are slightly marred by loose ends being tied up in the most bizarre ways imaginable, and basically not making a lot of sense. But apart from the last ten minutes, it's a very well made British horror, which is a rarity to say these days, and Oliver Frampton is a name to look out for in the future.

• A must see!!!!

  markgoddard20052016-05-15

  Young Tommy, played by Clem Tibber, must now live in squalor with his father (Shaun Dingwall) on an abandoned estate. When Tommy hears strange noises at night coming from the flat next door, his father is reluctant to believe his stories as the place has been sealed up for some time. Finding a new friend in Carmen, played by Elarica Gallacher, who works at the local cafe, he convinces her to help him solve this eerie mystery. Not since critically acclaimed The Babadook (2014), have I seen a horror that applies more depth into its makeup than your clichéd jump scares and things that go bump in the night. It's sad to watch the little pup being thrust into such a harsh environment, whilst being denied contact with his emotional constant, his mother. The father is of no comfort and makes no secret of what an imposition his son is. In vast contrast, new friend Carmen makes for a great companion as she gradually takes a shine to Tommy, despite having already been hardened by the life. She too has her own demons to battle it out with. The conditions alone that poor Tommy has to live in when the sun goes down verge on apocalyptic, with nothing but electric camping lanterns to help them see through the dark. The claustrophobia created by these box-sized bedrooms, shrinking corridors and tunnel- like stairwells is unnervingly palpable to say the least. The scenes in the creepy red room, the apparent source of the noises, are where the movie reaches its fever pitch, very much akin to the terrifying jail cell sequences in Anthony DiBlasi's Last Shift (2014). LAST WORDS: Another triumph for Metrodome, The Forgotten is easily their best horror release since last year's Halloween offering of Brit werewolf flick Howl (2015). It presents us with fully-fleshed sympathetic and complicated characters and a creeping atmosphere that claws at your throat with its dirty fingernails.

• A great horror movie!

  ejamc2017-10-31

  This movie was amazing! There's a lot you can do with an abandoned apartment complex, and making one of the apartments the site of a murder, and also of a haunting? The twist at the end was something I was not expecting! One of the best horror movies I've seen in recent years!

• Realistic acting

  apryla-587952018-08-21

  I really liked this film. The actors actually acted like real people. The film moves slowly but I didn't mind that. I liked the build up. I'd never heard of the main character before but he did a great job acting like a teenager. Especially a teen from a family going through issues. He was quiet and withdrawn and that's how teens act. I liked the waitress too. She did a great job with her role. I hope both actors get more work. I'd like to see them in other roles to see their range. The ending wasn't great but I've seen a lot worse and when you watch horror films you have to go in with a healthy dose of suspending belief. With that in mind I felt like the actors responded to what was happening in a realistic manner. The dad was atrocious. His acting was fine but how his character treated the son was deplorable. It made me feel so sorry for the kid. The mom did a good job with her short screen time. I really liked her hairstyle. Overall I'd recommend this film.