“Everto” – an independent film written and directed by Antoine McKnight – accepts a lofty challenge: to bring back old-school horror. It’s a noble attempt. With decades since real horror icons have graced the big screen, genre-lovers thirst for good horror when they see it.
The good thing about “Everto” – and there are several – is that it is, in places, honestly scary. It features an eerie soundtrack, legitimate jump scares, and manages to build suspense. And for a low-budget indie, the acting is not even bad. Where “Everto” suffers, regrettably is in its nearly 2-hour run time, its script (which often lags), and the chemistry between its two central characters.
The basic premise here is that a girl, Skylar (Alessandra Spoletini), is witness to an awful murder. It isn’t until later, when police detectives (Thomas Ouimette, Adam Yoder), discover fingerprints on a murder weapon from a man who died 40 years ago, that Skylar and her friends realize something foul is afoot.
Cinematically, “Everto” is shot well. It’s clear that the direction by Mcknight and the cinematography by Ryan Perez is inspired by horror films of old. And, in a relieving move, the duo shy away from littering the film with hackneyed horror topes such as unexplained falls or cars that won’s start (when a car doesn’t start here, it’s because there’s no keys…easily explained, and not forcing the film into unbelievable territory).
There’s also a magnitude of great camera shots here. Long angles down solitary stairs, far shots of lighted fronts of houses, and darkened corridors line “Everto’s” run-time. Several sequences reminded me of the creepy atmosphere of 2009’s “The Collector,” while one sequence toward the end, as Skylar’s sister (Allison Schuette) attempts to escape a house, are full-on homages to John Carpenter’s legendary “Halloween.”
And, while I won’t give it away, there is a sequence in this film as Molly discovers a horror within her house, that while taking place within a brightly lit room (opposed to usual darkness), is one of the scarier scenes i’ve seen in a horror film for quite some time.
The soundtrack is well done, utilizing numerous horror standards such as loud, pulsing beats, shrill crashes, and fear-inducing violins. There’s also one scene – certainly meant to be the eye of the storm of this nightmare that has become Skylar’s life, that is scored with a melodic and touching banjo which became one of my favorite parts of the film for its uniqueness.
The biggest affront to the movie is its 1 hour and 54 minute run-time, where tighter editing (especially during the film’s calmer sections) would have gone a long way. Where the length becomes apparent is in many interactions between Skylar and her boyfriend Hayden (Johathan Schneider), and some unnecessary banter between the film’s two aforementioned homicide cops. These scenes are just too dialogue heavy, and offer pauses when the film needed to push forward.
You can’t fault McKnight for trying. Too often modern horror likes to skip exposition and jump to the gore. There’s none of that here. The body count is reasonably low, the suspense is spot on, and the acting ranges from passable to great. Schuette and Ouimette stand out to me as the best actors of the film, but the others all do an adequate job (I especially enjoyed Sean Demma, who portray’s Molly’s boyfriend).
However, some dialogue comes off without a hitch, while other times it seems forced. A trim on the script – and a stronger trust on the film’s set pieces and ambience – may have cured this. The writing is by no means bad….just too long, and too safe in places where it needed to be short and crisp.
The killer (played by Dave Madden) is effective, and his makeup is what you’d expect from an indie such as this. The filmmaker also throws in some clever homages with the killer’s methods to films like “Friday the 13th” and “I Know What You did Last Summer,” which I found refreshing. The kills are creepy but not authentic: they’re not meant to be. This is a clear throwback to ‘80s-style horror that its audience will appreciate.
All in all, “Everto” is enjoyable. It’s low-budget; but that doesn’t really hurt the film, and McKnight and company make the most with what they have to work with. Horror is a hard genre to master – especially in an era where gore and body counts have replaced writing and suspense. “Everto” is a clear love of the slasher genre – a valiant effort that will entertain while nodding to many viewers’ favorite movies along the way.
– by Mark Ziobro
