Interesting! You know, I’ve been a big hater of found footage films in the past, but film-makers are doing some big things in 2017 and that makes me appreciate the style a little more. Matt Sconce’s Altar is another recent release on most VOD retailers and I think it’s one of the better found footage features out there. That’s not to say, however, that it goes on without a hitch. There’s definitely some give and take in this one and I’m not sure if the plot ever really goes there. You can find my review of Altar below. Give it a read and decide if this is something you’d want to stream starting on Saturday.
The movie starts with a young couple nearing the end of their Christmas wedding at a lodge in the woods. After getting naughty, they’re disturbed by a crazed man warning them not to go hiking in the woods because it’s not safe. So, what do they do? Of course they go trekking in the snow-covered forests late at night with nothing but a head cam and a flashlight to guide them. Soon, they stumble upon a cult that swarms an altar with blue lights before murdering the newlyweds. I was actually pleasantly surprised by this because it’s rare that horror fans get an opening kill sequence in the found footage genre. The story fast-forwards six months later to a group of former college classmates embarking on a reunion camp out in the same Sierra Nevada mountains where the newlyweds were butchered.
One character, Bo, decides to record the whole thing and one of the first things he records is an article about the missing couple. I was shocked once again, in a good way, to see the plot wasn’t going to be a documentary about a group of people searching for the missing couple; as there are already several films released so far this year that tackle the same plot. Instead, Bo videotapes their journey for pleasant purposes only… that is until their car breaks down in the middle of no where. Once again the same crazed man approaches the group in a hostile fashion before leaving them alone in the forest without a way to get home. So, what better place to set up camp and hope that help arrives! I was a fan of this progression up until this point. For the next half hour we get character building, an introduction to minor characters, and the pasts and personalities of all the characters are developed, but nothing scary happens. Nothing. Sure, I liked all the characters, but I wanted to see them die since Altar is a horror movie.
Luckily, during this time we get a lot of beautiful, scenic views and nice visuals, so kudos to Matt Sconce for his work behind the camera. I should say that the lighting at night is pretty focused and clean and that’s another terrific feat in itself. Altar isn’t a film that used the found footage style to be lazy, more-so it used the style to seem more earthy and realistic. Speaking of visuals, the blue lights that surround the altar were a nice touch that made me think of aliens at first, but they definitely lend themselves to more supernatural aspects. How are they lit up in the middle of the forest? Why don’t they ever seem to go out? Creepy! I know I’d haul my ass out of there if I stumbled across that. When the shit hits the fan, it goes from 0 to 100 fast, especially after the campers discover some of their things are missing and find the bloodshed left behind at a neighboring camp sight. At this point, the horror truly begins and I was ready for the action and suspense! It was definitely at a Blair Witch level without going into Rec territory. Enough horror to keep me satisfied, but probably not enough to make me return to Altar again.
And once again Matt Sconce surprised me with a story that deviates from the stereotypical, beaten path. The characters are smart and they don’t sit around and wait to be picked off and buried. They grab some supplies, they grab a gun, the leave the broken down car behind and start to make the journey back to civilization on their own. They even stick together instead of breaking up into smaller groups! Yay for being realistic! This is a horror movie, however, so their path to victory and survival is short lived. As night falls, the group is still rather large heading into the climax – another rarity in scary movies – but one by one they fall victim to an unseen predator. Viewers will get two good, genuine jump scares out of the bloodbath, but they’re also walk away with a couple questions. While some new, creative liberties are taken here, the dark presence lurking in the woods is never truly explained. Was the altar a shine for a demon? Usually I enjoy an open ended finale, but I kind of want this one spelled out for me.
Overall, Altar was an enjoyable movie, but it was missing that extra bite. I applaud it for its realistic characters and innovative plot progression, but it was slacking on the horror elements. Too much talking and revisiting the past and re-bonding and not enough bloodshed. Still, it managed to be an original, surprising and creepy found footage flick that I think subgenre enthusiasts could enjoy.
Altar is written and directed by Matt Sconce and he was also in charge of cinematography and editing. Altar was produced by everyone in the whole world including Nick Soares, Orlando Gomez, Penny Sheran Park, Pat Parrish, Sherry Parrish, James Schumacher, Tina Johnson, Nicole Osborne, Nicole Spate, Keith Walker and 23 associate producers. Geez! Lead and supporting cast members include Stefanie Estes, Jesse Parr, Deep Rai, Brittany Falardeau, Tim Parrish, Ancillia DaValmont, Dave Johnson, Catherine Wilcox, Michael Wainwright, Gregory Tharpe and Kia Vassiliades.
Final Score: 6.75 out of 10.
