After losing her son in a car accident, Maria has a difficult time going about her everyday life. Seeing the pain in Maria, their housekeeper, Piki, informs her about a temple in her village where the barrier between the mortal world and the dead is thin. She explains the rules that Maria must follow in order to gain communication access with her son, however, under the condition that no matter how much her son begs and pleads–she must not open this “door” to the other side. Thrilled at the opportunity to convey her final goodbyes to her late son, Maria begins her journey to the village. Once a the temple, Maria begins speaking to her son through a door. As expected, her fragile nature leads her to open the door allowing her son’s spirit into the mortal realm. By this she upsets the balance between the world of the dead and the living which leads to a series of unfortunate events. Storylines such as this one, prove meddling with the dead never ends well for the living.

Writer/director Johannes Roberts is no stranger to the world of horror, and it’s safe to say he hit a few nails right on the head with this one. This is definitely a movie that majority of genre fans will enjoy. The story is solid, and there are few loose ends. However, this is a tale that we’ve seen done before. In fact the storyline is the perfect morph between The Woman in Black, Insidious, Mama, and maybe eve a little bit of Pet Sematary. This is your typical modern Hollywood horror, and with that said, don’t go in expecting masterful tension, deep characters, or some mind-boggling twist.

. . .this is definitely a movie that the majority of genre fans will enjoy.

Similar to the storyline, the characters lack specialty as well. The acting, however, is exceptional. The main character Maria, played by Sarah Wayne Callies, goes through various transitions; from distressed mother, to a happy wife, to the “crazy” protagonist. These emotions are all portrayed equally well. As for rest of the cast, there’s nothing stellar to report–but it’s convincing nonetheless. 

The one true mistake here is the lack of uniqueness and inability to shake the confines of theatrical horrors. These types of stories have been told over and over again the audience, and genre fans will easily determine what’s going to happen next and probably see the final outcome coming from miles away. It’s obvious that the writers try to put a stamp on the picture with a staggering finale, but even that fell just short of great for me. The genre soup of possession, the dead hunting the living, and rituals all tie together perfectly given the context, but there’s nothing particularly haunting about the events in any way. I’d go so far as to say the entire movie is reliant upon well placed jump scares accompanied by shrill and abrupt audio queues. 

The one true mistake here is the lack of uniqueness and inability to shake the confines of theatrical horrors

In this day and age where so many horror films are being released, it’s important to differentiate. While The Other Side of the Door had the budget for some excellent visuals and a strong leading lady–it fails to deliver in any meaningful way. That doesn’t make it a bad film; just an average one. It’s a fun one-time watch, and as cheap as the scares may be, they’re sure to get you.

The Other Side of the Door is now in theaters.

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