Unaware (2013)

Absolutely Fantastic

This is one of the best movies I’ve seen in a very long time. You have to go and see this on the big screen.

This is a dark and sometimes deeply uncomfortable drama

Worth seeing just to witness how winsome it is.

The found footage genre has been flogged to death so often, we're now left with little more than dust and fossils, but in 2010 Sean Bardin, Scott Shrosbee, and Robert Cooley decided to give it the old college try. This movie is the fruit of their labours, and won awards for Best Feature & Best Special Effect at the 2011 Indie Horror Film Festival.With a controversial cast of just four people, and a running time of 81 minutes, Unaware pushes the boundaries of artistic expression in ways previously considered too radical for western film making.The two main characters enjoy good chemistry, and their dialogue and behaviour is refreshingly natural. Production values are typical for a low budget indie movie of this genre, but performances from the lead actors are robust and consistent.Alas, the thin plot (some dude takes girlfriend to his uncle's ranch, where creepy alien-related shenanigans occur) is poorly developed, and never reaches its full potential. Several scenes are incomprehensibly dark, which frustrates the viewer and minimises the visual impact.I rate Unaware at 16.65 on the Haglee Scale, which works out as a disappointing 5/10 on IMDb.

I couldn't even get past 30 minutes of this film. The first ten minutes is nothing but footage of them in a car. He's mumbling so I turned up the telly, but then she was shrieking so I had to turn it back down. The next ten minutes are of them walking around the grounds, having a really boring conversation over dinner and him proposing in the most boring way. Then he decides to go poking around in the barn. Even this was boring. I gave up at this point and turned it off. I'm all for a slow burn, but only if something is grabbing my attention in the meantime. Chemistry, good acting, something. But no. There was nothing at all. I don't know what the world is coming to if this drivel won awards.

**spoiler alert**There are already reviews that walk you through the story-line so I will save you from reading another iteration of it. Essentially I will focus on why this movie is so brutally and obviously fake and a complete insult to the found footage genre. However before I slice this apart I will say that the movie producers and director did a tremendous job of hyping this and creating a thick layer of internet rumor buzz including lacing the communication lines with rumors of the actors being unknown and still missing and the Governments involvement in this cover-up. Well played marketing lead-up however there are so many things that become obvious and predictable once you see this movie that this marketing hype, like me, may completely offend you. I will start by saying that when they make movies like this where they want you to believe something that is not real, they will start with many 'setups' strategically placed to convince you. Secondly because they are so focused on convincing you that they miss really key little details to hold the story together to keep you believing.So I will create my list for you focusing on the 'setups' and 'details' in no particular order so that you can make your own deduction: 1) Setup - on the way to their grandfathers, the pass and pay particular attention to a military base - makes us believe there is military involvement of some kind 2) Setup - male actor shares his distant relationship with grandfather and the secret nature of his service - makes us believe there are secrets ahead 3) Setup - big chained fence with intercom at a country home - makes us believe something big might be behind it (female actor also builds this for us in a badly acted way) 4) Detail - although the big chain fence is locked the male actor still remembers the code - makes us believe a grandfather that is hiding something would not change the code (sure). 5) Setup - grandfather and grandmother not home - surprise, surprise (of course they're not home) - makes us believe they will be alone 6) Detail - poor acting by female actor to get mad at male actor about not calling ahead - not believable at all as she lets him off the hook way too easily. 7) Detail - male actor knows where he hides the key to the house - which is in the middle of the back yard near a true in no specific spot (hmmmm, must have been right there in the grass where it is obvious and easy to be mowed over...makes sense!) 8) Setup - male actor shows female actor around showing the 69 Cutlass - ah, because this will be used later so you have to know about it now. 9) Setup - male actor talks about his grandfather never letting him go near or see inside of the barn - so we are made to believe that a kid as curious as this guy has never, ever seen inside this barn...nice setup to ask "Oh, please tell us what's inside". 10) Detail/Setup - absolutely no chemistry between these 2 and his big surprise is he is taking her to his grandparents' house (with his grandfather who doesn't like him) to arrive unannounced only to propose to his girlfriend...how romantic! (Brutal detail and setup!) 11) Detail - they apparently make food and she arrives back with a movie, he pours wine and they proceed to eat what appears to be snacks for their romantic post proposal dinner. Of course all he can do after proposing is think about going to the barn...as anyone would do after proposing of course. Again poor detail and setup. 12) Setup - male actor goes to barn to hear a strange noise inside only to get scared and run back to the house - making us believe something ominous is inside...oh...ah. Of course if you were really that freaked out I guess like all of us we would stay put on the property and think more about it vs getting the hell out of there!!! 13) Setup - tries to tell girlfriend but she is too engulfed in her movie - making us believe it is now his big secret. 14) Setup/Detail - talks to the camera...which by the way...they are documenting their weekend way too closely as this camera is going absolutely everywhere with them....people don't even us a GoPro this way! Additionally he mentions earlier that he will leave the place exactly how he found it yet he is smoking in the house in their bed....how courteous of him; I am sure his military, raged grandfather Roy will be fine with this! 15) Setup/Detail – he convinces his girlfriend to back to the barn and gets a crowbar to open the lock - makes us believe she is involved in the mystery to build suspense. Detail missed is he twists the crowbar a few times to open the lock, only to claim fixing it later (even though he is afraid of his grandfather)...really??? (END OF PART 1 OF 2)

I was attracted to this film as it seemed to have garnered s handful of awards and was hoping this was some undiscovered gem of a horror film it ain't The found footage sub-genre can produce some good films The Collinswood Story being a memorable one and the VHS anthology films but sadly this offers nothing really new sometimes found footage can offer good or inspired shot compositions - in this we have views of a house and a barn....zzzz the acting was clunky at best ...the female lead was annoying - the male lead had a certain charm though the plot was standard fare but became absurd once they discover whats in the barn - the fact that they discover it there is the most absurd thing now for the most important part....the scares and atmosphere....apart from the end 10 minutes or so, it was lacking save your time and give this film a miss as there are far better found footage films out there