Visions (2015)

Good concept, poorly executed.

Good films always raise compelling questions, whether the format is fiction or documentary fact.

A lot of perfectly good film show their cards early, establish a unique premise and let the audience explore a topic at a leisurely pace, without much in terms of surprise. this film is not one of those films.

One of the worst ways to make a cult movie is to set out to make a cult movie.

Pregnant Eveleigh Maddox (a fine and affecting performance by Isla Fisher) moves with her husband David (a solid and credible portrayal by Anson Mount) to a vineyard to start a new life in the wake of a traumatic automobile accident. However, Eveleigh finds out that said vineyard has a dark past that puts both her and her baby in danger. Director Kevin Greubert relates the engrossing premise at a gradual pace, makes nice use of the beautiful bucolic setting, grounds the premise in a believable everyday reality, and ably crafts a spooky and unsettling enigmatic atmosphere. Fisher and Mount make for an attractive and appealing couple; they receive sturdy support from Gillian Jacobs as the perky Sadie, Joanna Cassidy as the helpful Helena, Eve Longoria as loyal gal pal Eileen, and Jim Parsons as the concerned Dr. Matheson. Lucas Sussman's clever script delivers a real doozy of a surprise twist at the end. Both Anton Sanko's shivery score and Michael Fimognari's polished widescreen cinematography are up to par. Well worth a watch.

Eveleigh (Isla Fisher) Was in a car accident and got a nasty bump on the head and killed an infant. It wasn't her fault, or so everyone claims. Her husband David (Anson Mount) manages to get own vineyard and her pregnant. The neighbors feel like something out of ROSEMARY'S BABY. She thinks the neighbor is producing meth, but he claims it is medicinal olive oil, something my aromatherapist swears by. The old house also has a history. Eveleigh has visions and hears things too which they didn't work into the title. This starts off as your typical boring poltergeist haunting and then at 54 minutes into the film, when you have your first death, things get interesting.Cast includes Eva Longoria, Jim Parsons and Gillian Jacobs.Guide: No f-bombs. Brief sex. No nudity.

OK this was not a good horror film. It lacked so much in the script that it gave up at the end. The acting was decent the story was not. Why did they go different styles because in the end you could not figure out what they wanted as a film. There were a few good moments but I was bored after 30 minutes It tried on a few levels but felt like it was a bunch of students trying to make a decent horror flick.Some nice ideas that were not used the best way.Had promise and that's where it ends.Watch on Netflix at your own discretion.

Occasionally you come across a thriller that has a run-of-the-mill sounding story line, accompanied by some surprisingly big actors in the lead roles. To me this is usually a sign that the movie is going to have a bit of an X-factor about it, often in the form of a twist. The three actors that caught my eye in this one were Isla Fisher, Jim Parsons and Eva Longoria. Nothing huge there, but for an almost unheard of horror/thriller they're still surprising to see. The first 90% of the film their presence wasn't making a lot of sense, then the final 10% began and I realised what had enticed them along. It's nothing mind-blowing or game changing, but it's more than enough to save the film from being a complete disaster.I did have to wonder though whether this is what Longoria's career has come to. She was a big star not that long ago, yet it appears since 'Deperate Housewives' came to an end her stocks have dropped and she's reduced to having nothing roles in little-known films. I kept expecting her character to get more screen time or at least have some important reason for being in the story, but sadly it never came. The reveal and the twist are what make this film, there is no doubt about that. My advice would be don't give up on this film too early, it gets better.