Shudder Original is rough around the edges
The Cellar is a new horror flick that has a lot of promise. Unfortunately, it falls down in some key areas so while there is the potential for something dark and scary, you might be reluctant to open the door to the cellar in the first place!
As Keira begins to explore the dark and spooky cellar, she realizes that it may hold the key to solving her family’s mystery. With help from her husband (John Malkovich, The Prestige) and children (Avery Brooks, The Notebook), Keira must find out what happened to their family in this abandoned house and stop the evil from taking over.
When the power goes out in Keira’s home, her teenage daughter Ellie descends the stairs into the cellar to look for a circuit box. Unfortunately, she doesn’t return. After discovering her daughter has gone missing, Keira calls the police. Typically, they are as much use as a chocolate fireguard so Keira does some investigating of her own. ..
Keira’s life takes a turn for the worse when she realizes that she has stumbled upon a mathematical equation that opens up a gateway to Hell in the cellar. It soon becomes clear that this is where Ellie has ended up, but as Keira tries to convince others of this, she realizes that she is alone in her conclusion. Her life goes from bad to worse when her husband and son become possessed and an ancient demon takes residence within her home.
However, the film falls short of its potential. The story is slow to develop and the characters are one-dimensional. The ending is also unsatisfying, leaving the viewer feeling unresolved.
The film is less than the sum of its parts because the acting is poor and the script is confusing.
Director Brendan Muldowney’s film, “The Pandemic,” is based on one of his previous shorts. While the director has some talent, he was limited by the shooting conditions he was put under. He occasionally manages to produce horror and dread, but with better shooting conditions, I believe he could have delivered a lot more.
The film’s familiarity deters horror fans from being scared, and the scene where the protagonist solves a math equation is reminiscent of another horror film. The movie does have some originality, but it is overshadowed by familiar tropes. ..
Despite the weak acting, the mathematical mumbo jumbo, and weak jump scares, there is some good here. The imagery is often striking and scary, there is a sense of looming dread, and the ending is quite an effective one. It’s clear that this film does have potential. However, if you don’t have the patience to sit through a film that reminds you of better examples in the genre, you might miss out on the few positives that this production does have.
But if you go, you might find yourself in a place where the walls are covered in blood, where the ceilings are low and the floors are wet, and where there is a smell of death in the air. And if you stay, you might find yourself in front of an audience that is cheering and applauding for what they see on screen.
This film is competently made, despite some rough edges. So, while it won’t make you nightmares, it’s worth your time to watch it.
