When “Grave Encounters” began, I didn’t know what I was in for. This Canadian film opens in such a cartoonish way I thought it was more of a parody than true horror. But don’t be fooled. The setup lays the foundation for a terrifying fast paced third act that’s filled with some great scares.
2011 was the zenith of found footage horror. 12 years post Blair Witch, “Grave Encounters” borrows elements from that style, including modern additions like the mocking of paranormal TV shows and the thirst for internet stardom. The flick was written, directed, and edited by a duo called the Vicious Brothers.
“Grave Encounters” is a fledgling series in which a group of investigators explore purported haunted locations. I was a huge fan of Ghost Hunters and the titular show in the movie is framed in a similar style. The crew includes Sasha (Ashleigh Gryzko), Matt (Juan Riedinger), TC (Merwin Mondesir), and Houston Grey (Mackenzie Gray). The host and defacto leader is Lance Preston, played by Sean Rogerson.
The Found Footage Era
What’s unique about “Grave Encounters” is that the paranormal crew is making the series for no other reason than to be successful. It’s presented that Lance is a showman who doesn’t believe in ghosts, or at least doesn’t care about them enough to be bothered. My favorite character was Houston Grey who is introduced as a psychic in a comical fashion and continues the notion that the Grave Encounters team is in it strictly for fame.
As mentioned before, the first half of the 94-minute film is comical. The crew sets up episode 6 where they will investigate a haunted asylum. For added intrigue, they will be locked in the hospital until the caretaker releases them the following morning. There is some creepy historical footage depicting the treatment of the former patients, but the flamboyant actions of Lance will have you laughing. The crew is locking themselves inside due to the failure of the first 5 episodes of the show.
3rd Act
Sealed inside the asylum until 6am, the horror doesn’t start until an hour before that time. It’s hard to say if the scares here are original or mimics of other found footage movies (they all blend). They’re fine. Nothing mind blowing but decent, nonetheless.
There is also heavy influence drawn from “The House of Leaves,” one of my favorite horror novels. Anyone who has read the book will recognize its impact.
“Grave Encounters” is a fine horror movie. Its standard fount footage with a heavily loaded back end. I’d recommend it as a one-time watch that’s enjoyable, albeit repetitive.
