Good Morning, House of Madness cyber stalkers:
It's always an exciting day any time I can stumble across a found footage flick I haven't seen yet, as I've seen my fair share and then some. As I was scrolling through the seemingly endless library of films, I just so happened to come across "Ratter", a film I had never even heard of, yet alone seen. Perhaps it's because the film was panned by critics, and written off as a dud because many critics don't give found footage a fair shake, but I personally couldn't disagree more.
Emma (Ashley Benson) has just moved to New York to go to school in order to get away from her ex-boyfriend and start fresh. It doesn't take long for Emma to meet someone new, and her and Michael (Matt McGorry) jump into things a little faster than Emma would like, but oh well, he seems like a nice guy. As the days pass, Emma records her every move, and when she isn't recording, someone else seems to be keeping tabs on her through her own electronics without her knowledge. Pictures of her in the shower, while she sleeps, and even while she's simply bumming around the house are privy to us the audience, but Emma has no idea. She does notice a few missing pictures one day, however, and decides it's a good idea to have her laptop professionally checked, and promptly changes all of her passwords. Unbeknownst to Emma, none of this has any effect, and the cyber stalking has just begun.
After witnessing many disturbing instances of Emma being cyber stalked, things begin to ramp up and we see her stalker now breaking into her apartment while she sleeps, taking even more unwarranted pictures and videos, and even getting into bed with her. Creepy. Emma is chatting with who she thinks is Mike one night, and he sends her an inappropriate video and says some pretty weird things, which leaves her to believe he has been the one responsible for all of her distress. Over time, the two make up and now Michael is being the one targeted with threats and cyber bullying over their relationship. As things intensify and the stalking ramps up to full speed, we're left with an ending that is anything but satisfying, but at the same time the film's point is made abundantly clear about the dangers and risks involved with our everyday use and trust of modern technology.
Other than the lackluster ending, I really don't understand all the underwhelming reviews for this film, as I thought it was quite well done. With a runtime of just 80 minutes, I never felt bored or disinterested, and I was genuinely curious as to why everything happening on screen was occurring. I suppose for some, everything being tied up at the end and all the t's being crossed are important, but instead of a lot of questions, I focused on the point the film was trying to make instead, and it's a terrifying one; I'm really glad I stumbled across this little gem.
Madness Meter: 6.5/10
NB
