The Atoning (2017)

Very Cool!!!

just watch it!

A bit overrated, but still an amazing film

This is a must-see and one of the best documentaries - and films - of this year.

I don't think I would call this a horror - more of a suspense mystery kind of film perhaps.The acting was OK and so was the story. It does lack something to make the story or characters pop - or stand out as memorable.If you are expecting gore and being shocked out of your seat you won't get it wiht this film.

'The Atoning' drew me into seeing it, with a cool poster/cover, an intriguing and quite creative premise and as someone with a general appreciation for horror. That it was low-budget, which from frequent personal experience is rarely a good sign due to that there are so many poor ones out there, made me though apprehensive. It is sadly however yet another film seen recently, hence some reiteration because the exact same strengths and flaws are here present in those films, that to me could have been much better considering its potential which it doesn't do anywhere near enough with. 'The Atoning' is far from terrible, with a plethora of problems (huge ones too) and doesn't do enough with its potential, which was hardly small. There are things that are decent enough to make it a step above weak.Lets start with the positives. The scenery is atmospheric and spooky, and the film is competently shot. The music has some creepiness.Best thing about 'The Atoning' actually is the ending when the film finally gets intriguing and is actually pretty clever, even then it feels too little too late. The acting generally, apart from the dreadfully hammy acting for the psychic, is better than average, particularly from Cannon Bosarge. There is some creepiness here.Going on further to the negatives, the story does feel over-stretched and some of it feels vague and under-explained and never gaining momentum. Too many characters are too sketchy and with nowhere near enough to make one want to endear to them. Their annoying and illogical decision making and behaviours frustrates. Making the film feel bland and forgettable with not enough heart put into it. The effects are sometimes ropy and the sound quality is obvious and utilised cheaply (being too loud in the build ups and people's reactions). Dialogue can be stilted and rambling while the pace and film drags on forever, never recovering until finally getting intriguing to the ending. Found too many the supposedly shocking moments not surprising or scary and the supposedly creepy atmosphere dreary, due to the excessive obviousness, a lot of dumb and vague moments and explanations and the lack of tension and suspense. A lot of 'The Atoning' has underdeveloped plot elements and often nonsensical and confusing character motivations, while too many of the things to make you jump or shocked are far from creative or scary and are pretty tame.The psychological elements are unimaginative and are more odd than scary, generally failing to show any sense of horror. Some badly sagging momentum too. The direction is leaden, got the sense their heart was not in it.Concluding, lacklustre but not terrible. 4/10 Bethany Cox

Ray (Michael LaCour), Vera (Virginia Newcomb) and their son Sam (Cannon Bosarge) stay in their home. There is a mystery as to what is going on. Seasoned horror film viewers should have an inkling in the first two minutes, feel certain by 20 minutes and not, it is revealed half way through the feature. Vera does not sleep in the same bed as her husband. Ray is reading a book on the atonement of the dead and people are yelling at them to get out. Vera keeps taking a picture down which goes back up. Pictures of another family show up. Every possible clue short of Nicole Kidman.There are clues as to what happened dropped early. Not too hard to figure out. Characters were boring and I found the demons too stereotypical to be frightening....dark figures from the closet.

A couple and their son are having several issues trying to keep the family together as they seem distant and full of tension. While attempting this their house appears to be haunted with all of them seeing ghosts. What they soon find out is that they are the ghosts and they can't leave the house. They need to figure out how to move on before the creepy shadow creatures get them.This had an interesting premise that was kind of like a serious Beetlejuice but it never reaches its full potential. It was neat how the ghosts still need to eat and sleep so they have to rely on whatever the living people own or get as groceries. The film however is an incredible slow, boring burner. I don't think anyone will watch this twice. It is a very depressing flick as well. The ghost family was lucky the other family never moved out which would've left them with nothing!