Kristy (2014)

I was not exactly expecting much with a title as nondescript as "Kristy". There were also no big name actors to speak of it seems. The news that there were alternative titles like "Random" and "Satanic" was not too encouraging as well. I was just in the mood for a horror film one lazy afternoon so I went and watched this. Turns out it was not exactly horror, but it was not bad at all.

The first frame of the opening credits was the first surprise. It showed the TWC logo. So the Weinstein Company was actually involved with this film! That was a surprise because the publicity was so low key, almost non-existent. It did give me some positive feedback about the film I was about to watch though, as TWC is known for its Oscar quality films.

The film opens with the scene of a girl being killed by a couple of men wearing hoodies and left in a grassy field. She had a big slash across her neck and a letter K carved on her right cheek. Photos and video of this crime was uploaded onto the Internet, announcing that it was the time to kill Kristy. To kill Kristy is to kill God supposedly. "Kristy" it appears is any girl they think is "pretty, pure and blessed", and therefore should be hunted down and killed.

One Thanksgiving, Justine was the only girl left in their college campus as everyone else went home. When she went to the gas station to buy some supplies, she encounters a strange girl in a pink hoodie with piercings on her lip. When she got back to her college though, she became the target of Pink Hoodie and her group of her hoodie-wearing hoodlums all wanting to see her dead.

Haley Bennett should be a bigger star some day. She looks great and she did very well in the lead role of Justine. She was able to portray the fear and determination of her smart, never-say-die character. This was no timid damsel-in-distress here. This girl was determined to survive. However, as Justine was alone and outnumbered, will she survive or not?

I was surprised to see that Ashley Greene (better known as vampy vampire Alice Cullen in the "Twilight" films) as the main antagonist, with internet username DrkViolet801. Her face was barely seen at all, hidden by her pink hoodie. They could have used another no-name actress and we would not have known the difference.

This film is not exactly horror though. If you like gore, there was not too much of that as well. I would call it a suspense-thriller, and a good one at that. I felt the use of music, along with the whistling and the whispering, was very effective in creating the thickly tense atmosphere necessary for this film to succeed.

With a lot of suspension of disbelief, I actually liked this film as it is. This is not any deep film to analyze or think too much about. Just sit back and enjoy your racing pulse as you watch it. By the way, there is an extra scene after all the closing credits roll up, if you still care to wait up and watch it. 6/10.

Fmovies: I actually just finished this for a second time. There were certain things I found a little hard to follow the first time but maybe that is just me. The internet angle I found confusing on first go around. Certain events happen so fast I could not see very well what happened. It made a difference seeing it in the day the first time and night the second time. Do not watch this in the day! It is an atmospheric movie. It must be at night.

The acting from our main girl draws me in, her performance is always alluring. The soundtrack is fantastic too, the themes stay with me. I would even say it may be my favorite movie soundtrack and definitely in my top 5. The music and this movie go really well together, hand in hand. Most movies have maybe one song I love with it, maybe not even that. This is one of the rare ones where I dig every single song and gives the movie a great vibe and overall presence.

Movie has great twists and turns, keeps me interested, and the internet angle to things is a fun spin on it. Certain stuff may make more sense in a second go around. I found myself thinking about it a lot after the first time and it became clear I needed to rewatch to make sense of certain things better. On second watch I can confirm, very solid movie, very atmospheric, well written, well acted, definitely worth a go, at night, and not with people who talk during movies.

I hope we see more films like this. I also dig the abandoned college angle.

PROS: A good part about the movie was the idea as a whole. The way the scenes were set up allowed for a great amount of fear and horror. The script also allowed for the main character to be resilient, not just for the sake of the movie, but just in general. There was nothing that happened that couldn't actually happen. Although this made the movie very readable, it didn't take away from the fear that it naturally would instill. A movie with a strong, independent, female lead will always be a fun watch!

CONS: The most aggravating part of the movie was the ending. There was so much more that could have been developed, but it just got cut short. I got quite frustrated at this fact because the movie lacked a lot of substance during the actual process, therefore I relayed heavily on the ending to give me that extra umph to propel the film. Another part that could have been improved was the acting. For some reason all the actors felt very stagnant. The main female character had pretty much two factions to her acting, 1. CONFUSION, and 2. BADA** MODE. Which are two good characteristics, but not the only things you need to be the star of a film. The final things that got me really angry was the fact that the main villains always found a way to find the main girl. It is an entire freaking college, and somehow they always found a way to find the girl. This gave the film a rather unbelievable factor.

www.chorror.com

Kristy fmovies. This is a very well done thriller. The suspense is maintained throughout the film up until the last scene. I found myself really pulling for Justine, wanting to see if she could out wit the gang. Typically in this sort of movie, the protagonist makes one stupid move after another. Not so in this movie; Justine is pretty smart.

The way the movie ends makes it seem like there may be a sequel?

I had this movie for quite some time but kept putting it off due to the negative reviews however I didn't have much else and both me and the missus watched it. All I have to say is that my missus started to hide behind me and we were both on the edge. I love how the camera always follows the prey.

We have seen this type of movie before but honestly this a completely different atmosphere. Somehow it didn't feel like others and yes we may have predicted the ending but not the journey.

Without giving away the plot if you enjoy the slasher genre horror movie you will love this. I liked it and so did my other half.

P.S. I gave it a 10 because of the undeserving sub 5's, frankly speaking I would still think it is a 10, 7 lowest I would go.

Plot: An intelligent college woman find herself alone at her campus over a holiday and chance encounter with strangers leads her to overcome almost insurmountable odds to survive a murderous cult in this survival horror movie.

Technical analysis: This movie has pleasant understated acting. Good atmospheric soundtrack that don't try to make up for a lack of suspense as you find in so many other scary movies. Although bordering on the realm of horror i would classify this more as a survival thriller. Thus you wont find any gore splatter or high body counts here which is refreshing for a thriller/horror that remains suspenseful throughout.

There is a Macguyverish element where the lead must outwit her pursuers and this is captivating in itself. All in all worthy immersion and even suitable for those that otherwisely shun horror movies.