[Movie Review] HE’S WATCHING

[Movie Review] HE'S WATCHING
HE’S WATCHING l XYZ Films
Home movie horror might be a new category distinct from found footage as the genre relies on only using the people and places closest to the director. These features are almost reminiscent of films you might have made with your friends when you were a kid and how you used people and resources easily available to you. Now due to the limitations of the pandemic, we are seeing more and more of these films such as Host and Landlocked, which rely on the directors’ nearest and dearests to not only serve as the entire cast, but they also step in for all necessary crew roles as well. During the quarantine, Jacob Aaron Estes, his wife Gretchen Lieberum, and their two children Iris Estes and Lucas Estes created a movie called HE’S WATCHING as a way to occupy their time and their minds. Estes is no stranger to films as he previously directed Mean Creek and Don’t Let Go, but this would be his first time casting his family. Shot on an 8 mm and the kids’ handheld cameras, the film gives a very realistic feeling of horror that unfolds within the home.

The film starts rather abruptly as we witness a strange substance falling from the sky which sparks a pandemic. We see familiar images of people wearing masks and spending all their time at home, so right away the director establishes a level of familiarity with the audience. Iris and Lucas, a teenage girl and her younger brother live alone, and the opening sequence drops hints that the parents became sick and must recover before returning to their children. Their now independent children resourcefully fend for themselves and have an ongoing video diary they use to stay close with their ailing parents. However, even within the first five minutes, we know the not-talked-about disease only affects adults, leaving the children at home where they become the target of something more sinister than a virus. When objects appear in strange places, and Iris finds eerie recordings on her camera, she assumes Lucas is being a dickhead and pulling pranks as a way to entertain himself. But then the creep level rises beyond the capabilities of even the cleverest little brother. Flickering lights put the siblings on edge, but then a note appears warning them of the Closet Creeper.

The first act comes off as quite disjointed as the scenes seem to jump from one to the next with little connection, but this is because the director is offering us a few perspectives. Both kids film their points of view and make confessional-type videos hoping their parents will hear their troubles. But another perspective sneaks in as we get surveillance-type shots of the house’s exterior and witness slow creeping nighttime footage. These scenes create growing levels of anxiety in the audience as we can see and hear the children but cannot actually warn them of the lurking danger. This third viewpoint also presents some very bizarre moments of surreal depictions of the villains stalking Lucas and Iris. And as all three narratives weave together, we realize the unseen presence is pitting the kids against each other which causes the tension and aggression to rise.

Both kids turn to some form of art to bring them comfort, but at the same time completely enrages the other sibling. Lucas practices the piano and records the songs as a way of connecting with his uncommunicative father. Iris paints and records artsy videos. The discordant sound of the piano begins to grate on the ears, and the artwork grows increasingly more disturbing. At first, the level of annoyance resembles any normal bickering between siblings, but the name-calling soon becomes replaced with serious threats. Not only does the tone of the film grow darker, but the interior of the house also changes once the story becomes limited to this one location. The spookiness gets spookier, and the film keeps the story interesting despite the very limited space.

HE’S WATCHING does fantastic work with creating atmosphere, but the third act seems a bit jumbled with the large exposition dump. The rising action of the mystery keeps you engaged, but the resolution seems forced and creates a pretty drastic change in the pacing, going from fast-moving action to dark snail-paced exploration of household items. The story plays off as disjointed with the various perspectives, but the realistic portrayal of squabbling siblings, unsettling Lynchian imagery, and a haunting score, allows the film to pull off some solid aspects of found footage and haunted house horror.

HE’S WATCHING is now available on VOD from XYZ Films.

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