The Passing (2011)

Disapointment

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Blistering performances.

A clunky actioner with a handful of cool moments.

Learning they've inherited their grandmother's mansion, a group of siblings decide to hold a party to celebrate the acquisition, unaware the spirit of the deceased hasn't left the home and is intent on passing on a grave family secret to them that will put them in extreme danger once they realize they're not alone in the house.This was a really hard one to get a handle on, as there's a lot to like here but some utterly maddening moments as well. The best part of this one is the fact that there's a rather effective house where the action takes place in, which is well-suited to the types of scares present here with the lurking behind the corners, spying in the distance and such. Definitely gory enough as well, with some nice kills, and there's enough action to keep it interesting, but the problem lies in the fact that the film doesn't know what it really wants to be. Most of the evidence points to a haunted house/ghost film, yet a twist late in the film adds in a murderous deformed family member into the mix and it doesn't gel all that well with what's been shown/discussed and it comes off rather funky and weird. An incredibly dragging pace in the first half also lowers this, but it's still not too bad.Rated R: Graphic Violence, Language and Nudity.

I have to start out by saying for the horror movie, you have to look long and far to find the horror. There was nothing scary about this movie at all. Sure it had some great moments and built up a good atmosphere, but it never unfolded into something truly scary.The story is about three Naibert youngsters who inherit an old estate from their recently deceased grandmother. Instructed, as per her will and testament, the three heirs must spend a weekend at the estate without adult supervision. But they invite some friends over to spend the weekend. But there is a terrible secret to the estate, and everything is not well at the estate.As for the story, well it was actually entertaining enough, but again, it failed to really spook or scare. There were some great moments here and there, and the effects were actually quite good. There is even a small amount of blood and gore in the movie, just to make it more interesting. The mirror effects were quite good.Personally I think that the director just brushed too lightly over Billy Naibert (played by Layton Matthews). Who was Billy really? And what drove him? We weren't given much information about him, where he came from, why he was there, or even what was really wrong with him. Too bad that the director didn't bother to take the effort to make Billy a bigger part of the story. It was as if he was just some filler to add something to make the story a bit more bizarre.To star in his movie, they had Crystal Day (playing Elizabeth Naibert), Sam Upton (playing Ray Naibert) and Brian Gleason (playing Jack Naibert), and they all did good jobs with their roles. However, it was Lilyan Chauvin (playing Rebecca Naibert, the grandmother) who carried the movie with her somewhat disturbing visage and her portrayal of the malignant entity.The movie was nicely shot, and there was a lot of nice details to the house, to keep up a dark, brooding atmosphere. So that really worked well in favor of the movie. "The Passing" is not a visual horror movie that assaults your senses and shocks you, it is more of a subliminal and psychological horror movie.If you are looking for a great horror movie to spook you and keep you on the edge of the seat, then "The Passing" is hardly the right choice. However, if you like horror movies that have a really great atmosphere, then "The Passing" might just be something for you.

I tried! But I couldn't quite make it to the end of this one, for fear of drifting into a deep slumber from which I might never awaken. "The Passing": is about several members of a family who must spend a weekend in their late granny's old house in order to gain their inheritance. Pretty soon, there are a lot of people in the house, as it turns into a party. One by one, people start getting knocked off by an unseen force. There's also a mysterious box whose contents were not meant or human hands. The only interesting aspect of this badly acted and badly written "thriller" was an occasional flash forward to the lone survivor as she tells her tale to a screwy cop (the late Paul Gleason) who figures she did everyone else in. I understand there is a twist at the very end. I was onto other things by then, and missed it. I suspect I did not miss much.

Meaningless drivel that makes a mockery of the horror genre. It says a lot about this film that veteran actor Paul Gleason died in 2006, yet this apology for a movie was not released until 2011.I am tempted to say that this movie was one of the worst I have ever seen, but that would give it kudos it does not deserve. There is little that is good about this movie, except perhaps that it is less than ninety minutes long. Unfortunately that is about eighty-nine minutes too long. In fairness the thumping rock soundtrack is reasonably good but the acting, script and direction are all woeful.If you are tempted to watch this movie, resist it at all costs. Do something more rewarding, like sticking needles in your eyes or pulling out your finger nails - both are far more enjoyable than sitting through this unmitigated trash.