Reclusion (2016) Reviews

• Highly Underrated low budget horror

  banglainey2016-10-15

  Let's face it, low budget horror isn't known to be good quality movie material With a 3.6 rating on IMDb, I thought I was in for a wasted hour and a half of a really badly scripted movie probably with the type of soundtrack that doesn't line up with the character's voices or the screen transitions. I was pleasantly surprised. The audio and visual are great. Don't get me wrong, there aren't going to be any amazing special effects, but I appreciate that in these modern times. I also really liked that the movie didn't capitalize on weird loud noises during quiet suspenseful moments and other cheesy tricks that we see too often in horror these days. Nothing grabbing out of the screen at you, no seat-jumping screams when you don't expect it. What I also didn't expect was a good plot and a good ending also. The acting was pretty good too. All around solid film. I most appreciated the original concept. We all know that's hard to come by if we are horror fans, and I definitely am. It's what drives me to watch low budget, badly rated movies like this one- for those hidden gems and those overlooked cult classics. Give this one a shot, it's worth it.

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• Let's put on a movie in the barn.

  S_Soma2016-09-27

  "RECLUSION" I must admit that I'm only guessing, but I would estimate the production budget of "Reclusion" at around $4.72. And it's likely the majority of that went to the craft service table. But, with no sarcasm, what we have here is a satisfactorily passable movie squeezed from the remaining $0.74. Humor aside, this movie doesn't really have what you would call "production values". With only a handful of exceptions, the entire movie was shot in and around a rather small residential home. I think you could probably accomplish a shot-for-shot replication of the entire picture in the course of a weekend. A bootleg copy of Premier Pro and After Effects for just a touch of special-effects sauce and you're done. The acting is not stellar but not bad, the sound effects are excellent, well-placed and add to the overall creepiness surprisingly well, and the plot line is simple if a bit predictable. There is an attempt at the end to add on a surprise which doesn't really work all that well, and once done the manifestation of the legacy to the daughter is almost a foregone conclusion. Oh well, it was worth a try. But still in all, a movie worth watching and a fine example of how quality directing, a competent story (if not original in any way), and an enthusiastic cast with good sound effects can all combine to make a very respectable movie out of almost nothing. Don't look for any explanations as to how the whole situation came about or any background whatsoever. We begin in a terrifying context, we spend some time in that terrifying context, and when the movie comes to an end it's evident that the terrifying context will continue beyond the end of the picture. Technically, I would make the case the movie doesn't actually possess a climax and resolution at all in the traditional cinematic sense. But clearly this movie is intended to provide some scares as its primary raison d'être and it does that reasonably well. You can't expect a Disneyland ride for $0.74, can you? It's more like one of those rickety little rides that travel from town to town on the hayseed festival circuit. It isn't much, but the kids and the idiots love it, and I fall neatly into the latter category. You can tell that somebody loved it and did the best they could with what they had to work with. It's got heart, and it hit the target it was shooting for and is a commendable effort relative to its genre and station in life, and that makes it worth a watch by my standards.

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• Original Gem

  fatfil-414-4517972017-02-15

  I watch a great deal of horror films and thought this was going to be another of those in the "okay" category at best. However I was pleasantly surprised. The basic story is that a mans wife dies by apparently supernatural causes. After 19 years he becomes a recluse, never setting foot out side his house, which still appears to have unexplained phenomena occurring. Then the young couple next door start doing shopping and such for him, and become drawn into the mystery A few people have mentioned production values, but I don't agree. If the story telling and direction is good enough it doesn't need big fancy special effects, indeed they often detract from the story. There are some genuinely creepy moments throughout the film. The acting is excellent, the story has an original twist and the directing is fine. It's hard to say much more without giving away any plot points. My only pieces of criticism would be, one of the plot twists is fairly obvious and much used. The story becomes a little muddied in the middle, and you never really seem to find out how the couple next door originally became involved, or their intended role. The ending is just a little disappointing, and felt inconclusive. But all in all I really enjoyed the ride with this one.

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• An Impressive Atmospheric Low Budget Horror Movie.

  stephenabell2017-03-19

  I love films like this that surprise me with their originality and filmmaking. Though this is a budget film the director, Norman Lesperance, does an absolutely wonderful job of creating a decent horror movie. Which makes me wonder why this has such a low rating on IMDb, especially when the reviewers give it favourable reviews... just like myself. I'd like to know why the viewers are rating it so low. Tim played wonderfully by Mitch Holden, is an agoraphobic unable to leave his home and hardly speaks to people and is nearly incapable of acting and reacting to people. Thanks to his neighbours Tim and Joan, nicely portrayed by Nicholas Bianchi (who wrote the script) and Chelsea Gilligan respectively, he is slowly coerced out of his reclusive lifestyle. As time passes, we begin to see that not only is the house where a supernatural event occurred but it affected his wife and daughter; his wife died and his daughter ran away. There are secrets and surprises abound as the audience learns about power residing in the house and what it's capable of. This is a very well acted strong story of supernatural and paranormal incidents that adds to both haunted house and possession mythologies. This is not a fast action packed CGI special effects laden venture. It is an atmospheric and unnerving affair that makes you think. This is definitely a film to watch with the lights on low while wrapped up in your lover's arms. If you've watched The Haunting Of Hill House and enjoyed it then you will probably like this film too. A nice eerie film.

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• The punch at the end hurts

  nkb-236952017-04-12

  I have to say that I did not expect this movie would give me such lasting impression, especially with that twist at the end. Though some viewers did mention that the plot twist was expected and overused, but when I saw the father (reclusive protagonist) gazing into his daughter's eyes, handing her the teddy bear she left behind, all the while knowing that death is upon him, I feel emotionally wrecked. It's like a metaphor to what parents give to their children: Life. And in place of that, parents know that each day as their children grow up more and more, their own death is coming. But still they pushed on and give unconditional love. Even willing to die for their children, or in this case, in the hands of his own daughter. I can't really quite put in words on exactly how this film makes me feel. All I know is that I feel incredibly moved and surprised about the way it turned out. Not many horror films can reach the same effect of making the audience tear up and frightened simultaneously. This movie did it for me, great job.

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