Jessabelle (2014)

Plenty to Like, Plenty to Dislike

Good , But It Is Overrated By Some

It is a whirlwind of delight --- attractive actors, stunning couture, spectacular sets and outrageous parties.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

This film tells the story of Jessabelle, or Jessie, a girl who went to live with an aunt as a child after her mother's death. When she breaks both legs in a car accident, she's forced to return to her father's house, which is a stranger to her. In her old paternal home, she will rediscover the memories of her late mother, as well as a spirit of her past that will disturb her. The script is, thus, explained in few words and does not seem to bring additions to the traditional ghost story: a girl who is forced to discover an obscure part of her past by the supernatural intervention of a ghost. However, despite this lack of originality, the script works well and the story is well done. It takes place in rural Louisiana and makes good advantage of traditional black cultures and beliefs, such as vodoo and African witchcraft. Perhaps this use of vodoo is, in fact, the only remarkably uncommon note in this film. The end is based on a very nice and surprising twist plot, cutting the predictability that is felt throughout history.Sarah Snook did a good job in the lead role, and the supporting cast does a competent job as well. What I would most emphasize, however, is the good performance of the director, who has shown himself capable of horror without recourse to liters of false blood and limb amputations, as he was accustomed to doing in the "Saw" franchise. Cinematography is good but not brilliant. The scares are good, but don't properly frighten those who are inveterate fans of horror movies. It's enough, however, to cause some discomfort and tension, which is also pleasant.

Jessabelle is one of my favourite movies ever, it may be predictable however we all really enjoyed it along with other movies that others may think are not that good. They can be really entertaining without a massive budget or big name cast. My other few I watch over and over are:- Annabelle, Fury, Dracula Untold, The Purge-Anarchy, The Conjuring, Zombie Apocalypse, It's not that good but hey whatever 😁 13 Eerie and Ragin Cajun Redneck Gators, that movie is just hilarious very entertaining.I think Sarah Snook also looks like Leann Rimes. Also would like a sequel

Jessabelle is quite a competent horror film, whose screenplay begins on a conventional way in order to later get more interesting and complicated with unexpected twists and ingenious tangents soaked of the "voodoo" folklore associated to the marshes of Louisiana, in which the story is set. Director Kevin Greutert reduces the shocks and accentuates the atmosphere, making the film slow, but never boring due to the continuous evolution of the main mystery and the gradual revelation of details which lead us to a satisfactory ending. Then, we have the solid work from the whole cast, highlighting Sarah Snook, whose reactions to the supernatural phenomenons keep a credible balance between terror and curiosity, specially when her character finds the "messages" from her deceased mother. Those messages, in the shape of old VHS tapes, are a very appropriate trick to impulse the story and elevate its emotional level without forcing the drama. The cinematography and settings let us see the classic duality of the marshes: during the day, beautiful lagoons rounded by picturesque flora; and at night, decrepit mudflats which hide terrible secrets from the past. As for the effects and gore, there's nothing to say; as I said, Jessabelle keeps a tone of intimate and even psychological suspense, so don't expect any gore or terrifying creatures. This might disappoint some "hardcore" fans of horror, but I personally appreciated the sober direction, carefully constructed screenplay and moderate displays of horror, which are credible precisely because they don't exaggerate too much or obfuscate us with edition tricks, strident music or similar clichés from contemporary horror cinema. In conclusion, Jessabelle isn't a great film, but I liked it pretty much, and I think it deserves a recommendation. Besides, I think this film would be good material for a preteen sleepover: gloomy enough to provoke momentary anxiety, without causing psychological damage in a long term. Or at least, that's what I hope... don't blame me if the kids end up developing a phobia against the VHS tapes.

I found this story to be rather enjoyable, as the movie progressed along. Seemed a little slow at the start, but definitely a nice pick up and change of pace when the action started. The questioning of what's real and what isn't was one of the more intriguing parts of the movie, until the two physically blended together at the end. The mother's seeming knowledge of what her daughter is doing in those tapes is odd, but a nice twist. The more she seems to watch the tapes, the crazier things seem to get, which begs why she didn't just quit watching them. Somehow, someway, the visions are not just creeping into her reality, however, because she's not the only one that appears to be dealing with them. Her friend, Preston, experiences an actual encounter with the person that is scaring her, by almost ironically picking her up and taking her to his car. This is ironic, because after the lake switch, I found it very intriguing that he didn't seem to notice the identity of 'Jessabelle' was not Jessabelle. All in all, however, I would give this a thumbs up, definitely better than a lot of the horror movies produced these days, plus: it actually has 'jumping scare' moments. Like: you wouldn't predict them, and I'm always intrigued by horror movies that can keep me on my toes. They also did something I thought I'd never see, realizing that all the weird stuff is happening at the house: they tried to leave...I liked that touch, cause I know I wouldn't stay.