'Keep Watching' is an interesting but familiar take on 'found footage' films of the last few years that is saved from lying the pile of the rest by taking some risks and it's overall brutal and relenting nature. It stars Bella Thorne (Amityville: The Awakening) and Chandler Riggs (Walking Dead) as a brother and sister who are fighting for survival after they find themselves in a deadly game broadcasted across the Internet called 'Kill or Be Killed'. While the audience believes themselves to be simply enjoying a horror web show, it is in fact all real and the creators won't stop until they give their audience what they want.
The film takes many familiar routes and storylines from previous films in the genre such as 'The Strangers' and 'The Purge' but with elements of 'Paranormal Activity'. The film is a straight narrative film but every camera is a hidden one throughout the victims' home giving it that all too real feeling that for the most part works in the film's favor. Some of it is highly exaggerated (a mini camera inside a taser or a microwave display are a little hard to swallow) but the ideas presented here are executed well. The performances here are a mixed bag, with the family being the worst of it and somehow these faceless and for the most part quiet killers bring the most charisma to 'Keep Watching'. Bella Thorne especially gives a really dull and lifeless performance as if she wasn't really into making the film. I got the same feeling from her with the new 'Amityville' flick too so maybe its just her style but I'm not a fan of it.
The concept of how the game works is pretty interesting though a lot is left ambiguous such as the origins or the identities of the killers at work here. I find these live action 'Mouse Trap' style horror movies interesting though if you're thinking 'Saw' with this one I wouldn't go that far. It's much more grounded than that series, providing really brutal murders that feel like a snuff film at times. In fact, it's pretty interesting that 'Keep Watching' even got a theatrical release even if for just one night because this is not your typical mainstream horror. It's pretty unforgiving and dismal throughout and it makes sure to leave its audience without any feelings of redemption, salvation, or hope for these victims. The ending, which I won't spoil is pretty ballsy and not one you'd see in many movies as of late.
'Keep Watching' is a pretty decent horror flick. Sitting in my local cinema on Halloween night was a perfect atmosphere for it, though it does beg the question of whether the film works outside of the big screen. If it manages to pop up somewhere down the line on DVD or Netflix, I say it's worth a watch. It provides enough to distinguish itself while keeping some familiar beats to keep from alienating its core audience.
4 out of 5
