From Within

I watched this as a horror double-bill with Cradle Will Fall and it's strange how two films that could be so similar are so different. One is an intense horror with a young boy being chased by his seriously disturbed mother whereas the other seems to be clearly influenced by Asian horror films and is concerned with a spate of unexplained suicides and the possibility of a curse.
 
In the small God-fearing town of Grovetown in Maryland, a girl, Natalie, comes rushing back to her father's shop covered in blood as she's just seen her boyfriend shoot himself. Her friend, Lindsay, tries to comfort her whilst her father phones the police and the girl is petrified that someone is after her and has followed her to the shop. Lindsay steps out of the room to look and the door slams shut; by the time they get it open she has apparently rammed a pair of scissors into her throat and also committed suicide.
 
Lindsay doesn't believe that Natalie would have killed herself but most of the townspeople, including her stepmother, Trish, are certain that it is God's wrath. Convinced that the deaths are somehow linked to a curse of some sort, she begins to see more and more of Aiden, whose brother's suicide seemed to start the whole thing. Aiden is a non-believer and hence a bit of an outcast especially as his late mother was considered a witch who died in a mysterious fire.
 

 
From Within feels like a remake of an Asian horror and, whilst this isn't necessarily a bad thing, it doesn't come across as an American film - the subject matter is very much like One Missed Call, for instance, where each death triggers another with creepy whispering and mysterious visions. I don't know how many films have used the trick where the reflection in the mirror does not behave as the person does, but it's quite a few in recent years.
 
It's a film where no one has much experience: the director is helming a major feature film for the first time after learning his trade as a cinematographer, the lead actress is probably best known for appearing in three episodes of Mad Men as Roger Sterling's daughter, Margaret and the only other notable name is Thomas Dekker who is principally known as John Connor in Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles. Lack of experience is no bad thing with each actor acquitting themselves well and the writing and direction is fairly accomplished. However, I was watching it and just felt as if I had seen it all before, albeit in different films from different countries and continents so the reveal and explanation came as no surprise and I saw the ending coming.
 

 
From Within is a perfectly watchable chiller where you feel for the lead character and want her to solve the puzzle before she falls victim to the curse. I imagine you're meant to hate the religious nutters who do everything short of pursue their enemies with torches and pitchforks! Though it didn't feel fresh or original, the time never dragged and, for those less jaded and versed in horror conventions, this will be a film for a dark night in with some well-orchestrated jumps.
 

The Disc

 
Extra Features
Sadly, not much was added so no commentary, interviews or behind the scenes footage so all you have are two trailers: Theatrical and UK Promo.
 
The Picture
From Within is very well shot, using the abandoned Maryland town they used as a location very well and the contrast levels are good so you don't lose any definition in the darker scenes. The special effects make up and prosthetics are pretty realistic and help to convey the horror element.
 
The Sound
You have the choice of Dolby Digital 5.1 Surround or 2.0 Stereo and the surround is the way to go if you have the necessary speaker set up as the subtle whispering and score is   much more effective when it comes from around you, not just in front. The dialogue is delivered clearly and presented well though there are well written English HoH subtitles which are free of spelling and grammatical errors, should you require them.
 

 
Final Thoughts
Whilst perfectly watchable with a decent array of jumps and a narrative that keeps you interested right to the end, From Within falls short of the best horror films around as it feels as if it's been done before. It isn't so clichéd as to be derivative and if you're not an avid horror film watcher then this'll prove a decent watch; it just doesn't do enough to keep someone like me completely engrossed and guessing until the credits roll. Its also a shame that the disc is so lacking in extra material as that may have been the difference between a DVD you'll think about renting and one you'll keep an eye out for when it appears on the movie channels.
 
Within all this, Thomas Dekker shows himself to be an actor of real skill and Elizabeth Rice will probably have a future on the big screen or as a leading actress on a TV show. Phedon Papamichael has made the transition from cinematographer to director well and will probably be approached to helm other projects whilst keeping his skills picked up as a cinematographer in reserve - they won't hurt his ability to direct and could only help.