Shadow People will have you sleeping with the lights on

RATED- PG-13
RUN TIME- 89 MINS
WRITER(S)- MATHEW ARNOLD
STARRING- DALLAS ROBERTS, ALISON EASTWOOD AND ANNE DUDEK
DIRECTOR- MATHEW ARNOLD



Synopsis taken from IMDb
A radio talk show host unravels a conspiracy about encounters with mysterious beings known as The Shadow People and their role in the unexplained deaths of several hundred victims in the 1980's.




I wanted to see this movie since I first heard about it. My father always listened to late night/early morning radio shows, and he always used to listen to Art Bell. For those of you who don't know, Art Bell hosted the paranormal-themed radio program called Coast to Coast AM. There was always something supernatural being discussed, and they'd have guests on who were experts in the unknown. It was a cool little show, and some of the episodes scared me senseless. One of them being about The Shadow People.

So going into this film, I knew about the shadow people. What got my attention the most was wanting to know if this movie would be scary because, when I first learned about them, I was paranoid. Not nearly as bad as the people in this film, but still, it stuck with me. While the film didn't terrify me like I was hoping, it definitely has it's creepy parts that'll have you checking behind your back and over your shoulder. 

I didn't know that there would be actual real life footage used in this film, so that was a nice surprise and help immensely on driving in the scares. The film comes off like "The Mothman Prophecies", but creepier. It starts slow and gradually picks up the pace. The mystery of the unknown is always something that'll keep you paying attention. And much like "The Mothman Prophecies", this movie leaves you with questions that you wish were answered. But part of the reason you're so scared is because of the fact that you don't know.

One thing that I don't understand is, why they didn't try and cast people that looked like the people in the real events? It would have made more sense to me that way, rather than casting people who look nothing like the real people. Not even close. But whatever, cast and crew aside, there were some elements that I liked about the film. I liked the suspense, the paranoia, the scares and the eerie feeling it leaves you with.

However, there's a handful of things that I didn't like about this film. Such as, the fact that the payoff was lackluster. I get that they were keeping it true to what really happened, I just think it could have been done in a more profound way. I also felt that the scares should have been upped. Shadow People are really freaking creepy, why not capitalize on that? And I didn't like that it was slow to start, as well as end. If they'd stayed focused on the Shadow People more, and less on what everyone else is doing, I think it would have gone over better. 

Overall, the film was decently acted. I wouldn't hand it out any awards but, I wouldn't say it's the worst acting ever. I just feel that the performances are somewhat wasted. The Shadow People should have remained the focus of the film if they wanted it to be scarier. I like the film, I just don't love it. It's a shame because now that a legit movie about this matter comes out, it's not as frightening as I was hoping. This film falls a bit short for me. 

THIS FILM GETS 2 1/2 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5