The Caretaker (2016)

It was OK. I don't see why everyone loves it so much. It wasn't very smart or deep or well-directed.

The biggest problem with this movie is it’s a little better than you think it might be, which somehow makes it worse. As in, it takes itself a bit too seriously, which makes most of the movie feel kind of dull.

The film may be flawed, but its message is not.

Through painfully honest and emotional moments, the movie becomes irresistibly relatable

The Caretaker is a thoroughly engaging and deeply disturbing new entry into the horror film genre. The cat-and-mouse game between the well-intentioned Mallorie (Meegan Warner) and her deeply troubled grandmother (Sondra Blake) delivers satisfying screams, thanks largely to the film's eerie, Polanski-esque sense of atmosphere. Director Jeff Prugh impressively maximizes the film's fear potential without the use of extravagant special effects or an obscene amount of gore, instead using lighting, music, and character development to create a building sense of dread. And the atmosphere works like a charm, with the film's final moments leaving viewers in absolute terror. The Caretaker is a gloriously effective chiller that is sure to haunt viewers for days afterwards.

The Caretaker was a really enjoyable horror movie that I am head over heels for. I was really creeped out by the terrifying grandmother played by Sondra Blake who refuses to take her medication and scares off all of her previous caretakers. Finally, her granddaughter, Mallorie, played by Meegan Warner, comes home to their Victorian house, that works as a perfect setting for this great horror movie. I was jumpy and watching between my fingers in fear as Mallorie slowly slips into the terrifying spirits that made her grandmother crazy as a medium in a circus. So happy I watched this movie right before Halloween because I couldn't imagine a better movie to get me in the right mood for ghosts and spirits.

I did like the actors and their acting. It was quite believable in context of what was going on. I also liked their communication - which was not forcibly poor to further the plot. (poor communication being one of the main tools in most horror movies i know to actually create tension...) Sadly though - i did not care a bit for the story the movie told. It committed the sin of being "simply boring". No real twists and turns, no build up of tension, and the climax felt rather "mehh". I caught myself checking the time several times during that movie.The idea of the movie is not really new .. the execution is ... in my opinion ... textbook... sadly textbook as in "been there, done that - a hundred times..." Whats left is what can only be called mediocre.

The Caretaker starts out pretty well, I think.. It looks good, doesn't look especially low budget, the acting is OK, it had an overall creepiness to it, I gave it a chance. (I have seen my fair share of small horror flicks, I usually get a feeling pretty fast) Yeah, well it starts out good, you're led to believe there is something really creepy going on, and then.. well, then almost nothing more happens. I mean, stuff does happen, the movie isn't directly boring, it's just way to tame. It's more like a drama than horror. A movie can work without the big horror scenes and jump-scares and stuff, but then it has to have everything else really locked down. And while the actors do a decent job and all, it's not enough. There are a couple of scenes that are pretty creepy, I'll give it that, but it just seems like the movie is stuck in the beginning part for the whole thing. You know, the beginning part of a horror movie where just small stuff happens.I do want to talk a little bit about Sean Martini, tho. He is the boyfriend of the main character, and he is sort of a main character himself, and I thought he was pretty good. He kind of looks like a cross between G-eazy and Jared Leto, he looks good. Skinny, but good. His acting, although not mind blowing, is pretty natural and not too acty. The girl, Meegan Warner is alright too, but I liked the guy the best. The old woman, eh, she overplays a tad, but OK.So, for pretty much the whole first half+, I was pretty entertained, but then it didn't pick up pace at all, and then when the mystery is revealed, it's just not that cool, and the ending is pretty cliché.So yeah. At first I was like: yeah, this is pretty cool, kind of creepy. But then I was like: Aaaw, come on, can something big happens soon? And just to be clear, one of the stars in this rating is for Sean Martini.