Movies that depart from a genre’s norms are always refreshing in this series. I try to find films that, at their core, add to their category without blending into the crowd. I can usually find movies outside the standard procedure for their horror subcategory with relative ease, but I’ll admit that this month I hadn’t much luck finding a movie that spoke to me. 

I’ve fallen into a slump where I was sticking mostly to Netflix Originals. Even the Godzilla trilogy I covered last month was under Netflix’s banner, in spite of each part having a theatrical release in Japan. I endeavored to step outside that slump this time around. 

As you may have guessed, this brought me to horror, my bread and butter, and I did find myself blessed with another movie that snuck under my radar. It’s got elements of many movies I’ve praised in the past, so it’s a perfect fit for this series. 

Hungerford is what you might call a “found footage” film, a genre I’ve covered a few times in the past, with movies such as They’re Watching. Essentially, these movies are filmed by a character or characters in the film and edited together either by the filmers or by a third party who has, well, found the footage. 

Hungerford is honestly the best of this breed that I’ve reviewed so far, having both believability in production and acting, which are the two most important aspects of making a good found footage film. The filming is what you’d expect for a college project, though I will say, there are some angles that are a bit too steady for the situation, but I can forgive those as making them more watchable. All the characters have their unique chemistries with one another, that really made me feel as though I understood their friend group. 

The premise behind Hungerford seemed to be an Eldritch/Lovecraftian horror, and I was excited for that, but without spoiling the true “villains” of the story, it’s not that. Regardless, what we did get was a fairly straightforward and common pseudo-zombie plot, but made to feel fresh and entertaining. This world feels different than any I’ve visited before, while still having elements of movies I’ve watched in the past. 

I should also add that the pacing of this movie is incredible up until the third act. We’re met with a moderate journey that builds tension and intrigue around the mysterious events happening in Hungerford. The third act feels quick and explosive, which can be a good thing, but I’m left feeling as though the big moments came pointedly out of nowhere. It wasn’t bad, it was just a lot, that shed a bit of my believability, but not so much that it ruined the movie for me. 

In short, Hungerford is a brilliant found footage film, with strong characters and great atmosphere. It’s not too short or long, and while there’s a few moments of immersion breaking or questionable narrative points, it overall comes out strong and worth a watch. 

Overall Rating: 7.5/10

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-Vincent

© 2019 Vincent C. Russo. All Rights Reserved. This post is intended for review and constitutes fair use. These films and any images used belong to their respective owners.