Low Budget Love: Shortwave
Film: Shortwave (2016)
So here we go. I have been on a quest to find the best horror movies I can from dollar stores and bargain bins. I have a huge list to go through, and we start here. This movie recommendation series is all about that Low Budget Love, and this film is so deserving.
First, let's get this out of the way. Most of this films, if you go to those fabulous movie sites with scores and rankings, will tell you almost everything I put on here is shit. But I am here to say nay to that negativity.
I really am enjoying a lot of these films I am finding, and Shortwave was the first to really strike me as a really good film that's super under the radar.
What kind of horror can this be described as? Slow burn with a mix of interdimensional oddities. It's slow pace through the start is sprinkled with scares, jumps, and jolts as the story unfolds.
A lot of complaints about this movie I see is its confusing. NOT IF YOU WATCH THE WHOLE FUCKING MOVIE AND SET THE PHONE DOWN FOR A SECOND. It is a slow burn, it doesn't come out and send you flying on the rollercoaster, it moves at a timid pace, but each step offers more and more into what is really going on. Seriously, I feel like most of these movies aren't given a chance from the get go, and I'm here to right this wrong.
The atmosphere of Shortwave is great. Its got a high tech, modern feel that also can hinge on the claustrophobic. The movie works around its budget with very good cinematography, and with that sense of dread permeating through each scene. It was a clever way to get around their budget, and it did not feel like it dragged the movie down at all. The set and set design did enough to keep things interesting.
The acting is not bad, and with only a few main characters, you grow attached to their plight as the movie moves along. It also makes what transpires within the film much more meaningful as more is revealed.
Now, as it was, the first three quarters of the film is a true slow burn build. You find yourself just being fed breadcrumbs of horror as the mystery continues. So, be prepared. Be patient. Let the tension build. Because for how great the film is for setting up for end, what a banger of a finish we get.
The slow burn idea really works here, with a flurry of intense, gory, and downright violent sequences that come one after another. The film had me from the get go, but it just went to another level as it reached its climax.
Is it a low budget, indie, b-movie? Yes. But who says any of that is a bad thing? If you go into these films just looking to enjoy yourself, you will find the wild truth is that most of the time, you will.
Shortwave was a great story told in a very unique way. A real slow burn mystery that explodes into a memorable horror film by its end credits. Do yourself a favor, and find a way to watch this film.
Highly recommended for fans of slow burn, mystery, and interdimensional horror. Also recommended if you like watching movies, because it really is a solid film overall. I loved this film and I want more people to experience the awesome ride it offers.
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