The Pact (2012)
Brief review: Based on his own short film of the same name, "The Pact" is Nicholas McCarthy's first-ever full-length movie in his career. This low-budget horror won't be every horror movie fan's cup of tea, as it's a bit odd, especially in its first half, but more patient viewers will be pleased with the end result, as it pays off big time towards the end. Don't get mislead by the familiarity of the plot and the seemingly trite premise, because even though the film looks kind of familiar at first sight, it has a lot more to offer then you think, and it's everything but predictable. It may confuse you a bit at some point, but just when you start to think it doesn't know in which direction to go, and it tries to handle too many horror sub-genres at once... BAM!!!...it proves you wrong, as suddenly everything falls into place and starts to make perfect sense. The movie successfully maintains its eerie tone throughout, but it never manages to get truly frightening. Well, not really. In the second half of the movie, there's one particular scene, featuring a truly shocking twist, that turns everything upside down, and unleashes all the scariness. The final 20 minutes of this film are so tense and terrifying, you'll find yourself on the edge of your seat, thinking: "OMG, where did that come from?!". Despite the lack of budget, the "The Pact" looks good, thanks to McCarthy's solid direction, plus, Caity Lotz does a nice job as the troubled Annie.
Overall summary: A slow beginning and some misleading plot cliches aside, "The Pact" is pretty much the perfect example of a low-budget horror movie done right - it's scary, unpredictable, involving, mysterious, and full of twists and shocks you definitely won't see coming.
This review is also featured on TVFilmNews.com
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