BERKSHIRE COUNTY

BERKSHIRE COUNTY

BERKSHIRE COUNTY = D+ to maybe a C- range. 

I wrote a rather long blog a while back, defending horror and making claims for how it can be a great median for telling good stories. I most certainly believe that, but also realize that there is a reason why so many people dismiss horror as utter shit. It often is. BERKSHIRE COUNTY proves it. 

Now I will say that the film has some positives. The negatives far outweigh the positives, but there are still a few in there. Considering what she had to work with, Alysa King gave a very good performance. The film did well with pacing the suspense and I appreciated the courage of the character.

However, trying to decipher where that courage came from was rather difficult. At first the character seems very egocentric and concerned solely for her own safety. Then suddenly out of nowhere she becomes selfless and solely concerned about the safety of the children. She played the role well, but there was no transition or moment of realization. It just happened. Very sloppy writing.

Speaking of sloppy writing, what the hell was with the opening 20 minutes of the film that added nothing to the development of the story. They focus on an issue hard and heavy that doesn't even remotely make an appearance at the end of the film.

Why is it that people who write and direct horror feel that they can be nonsensical in their writing as long as they get a couple of cheap scares?

It is cool to make your antagonist ambiguous, but your story needs to make sense and be something that an audience can follow. What is happening? Why is it happening?

For God's sake did the writer actually think that we didn't see the "twist" ending with the dispatcher at the end not coming from 15 miles away? Dear lord, sloppy writing.

And LAZY writing! The script develops an intelligent girl, only to show her do things that aren't only stupid, but down right STUPID. If someone with a knife is chasing you, the smart thing to do is to set your baseball bat down right?

Then at the end, she is concerned and ask about the well-being of one of the people that tried to kill her but has no question about the kids she was babysitting? Are you kidding me? "How is the one that stabbed me in the stomach with a knife? Is he going to be ok?" Yet absolutely NO conversation about the two kids you risked your life to protect and save. Brilliant writing.

Then the ending. Best thing to do with a film that doesn't make any sense is to add an extra scene at the end that makes it make even less sense.

I'm so sick of these horrible, shitty horror films. One right after another. Someone please get me in contact with a higher up. Horror films CAN be good if written, directed and acted well.

Not sure whether to blame the writer(s) or the director(s) on this, but dear me what a D+ film.