As a horror movie, “Polaroid” never quite develops (pun intended). Released in 2019 it’s a typical safe horror movie with weak plot and jump scares that don’t really scare you since they can be spotted a mile away.
The film stars Kathryn Prescott as Bird Fitcher, a photog high school student that spends her afternoons working at an antique shop in a gloomy town called Locust Harbor. Bird is gifted an old camera – not an actual 1980s Polaroid, but something even older and more sinister.
Positives out of the way first since they are fleeting in this 88 minute waste of time that masquerades as a movie. I loved the performance of Kathryn Prescott as the lead in the story. The character of Bird is developed (pun intended) strongly in a way that successfully delivers her backstory without repetitive and obvious exposition. She’s a deeper character than most horror movie leading females, but nonetheless shines in times of supposed terror. Fletcher is super cute, and can ooze emotions and fright. I would like to see her cast in something with more appeal.
The movie also uses some creepy effects like the sounds of the antique camera gears and the tension from waiting for a picture to develop. The limited use of light when the characters are thwarting the enemy – in this case a shadow that appears randomly in the photos signifying that the subject or subjects in the pictures are next on its kill list – is effective. “I think if it takes your photo, you die.” Bird explains to a group of friends that are being picked off one by one.
Where the movie fails is the sloppy writing of the story. There are several reasons given for the haunting aspect of the camera, all of which are ridiculous. When Bird discovers what’s going on, her group of friends believe in the supernatural explanation far too quickly for plausibility. And, while I understand the need for horror movies, and one revolving around the development of film specifically, to be ethereal, this one makes “Alien” look like a summer day at the beach. Most of the scenes are so dark and constrained in shadow you can’t see what is going on. While atmospheric at first, it quickly becomes detrimental.
Kathryn Prescott aside, the rest of the cast is a run-of-the-mill group of dumb teenagers and an incompetent sheriff. Sounds a lot like every other horror movie. Keen eyed observers will catch Seinfeld alum Grace Zabriskie in a wasted performance.
“Polaroid” is a bad movie. The plot is obvious and the scares nonexistent. It should have been called Disposable Camera (pun intended).
