By Melissa Antoinette Garza
Though it is notoriously looked down upon, one of my favorite horror sequels is THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT: BOOK OF SHADOWS. Many dismiss it as a strange mess that is as far away from the original as one can be, but it really isn’t. The core philosophy of the film is to be wary of what you see on television. It’s done using supernatural elements and building on the Blair Witch back-story. Admittedly due to less than stellar editing, the message isn’t as clear as intended, but if given the chance it still packs a punch.
Much like BOOK OF SHADOWS, EVIDENCE (2013) also plays on the willingness of the audience to believe what is in front of them.
The film follows a team of investigators trying to determine what occurred when a bus toppled over in the middle of nowhere and those inside ended up butchered by someone wearing a mask.
The police use footage found from the victims’ cell-phone footage and video cameras to determine the events that led up to where they are.
It starts when actress Leeann (Torrey DeVitto) gets a standing ovation after starring in a play. Her boyfriend Tyler (Nolan Gerard Funk) surprises her with a marriage proposal after serenading her. She panics and in front of the entire audience says ‘no’ causing a fight between them.
After both she and her best friend Rachel (Caitlin Stasey) beg Tyler to come for the bus trip, he relents. Rachel and Leeann want to strike it big and make a movie together.
Driving the bus is Ben (Harry Lennix) who is annoyed by the girls taping everything. That said when the accident happens, he jumps into action to help everyone.
Vicki (Svetlana Metkina) is a passenger who is interviewed by Leeann. Things start off easy, but when Leeann asks her about a present she is holding, Vicki shuts down saying it’s personal.
Next is 16 year old Steven Lee (Albert Kuo). He can do cool magic tricks, but has a dark past as he ran away from home. He later tells Leeann it was due to his horrible step-father.
Finally on the bus is the mysterious and haggard Katrina (Dale Dickey). She seems unwell yet has a bag filled with cash in it.
Detective Burquez (Radha Mitchell), Detective Reese (Stephen Moyer), Officer Jenson (Aml Ameen) and video tech Gabe (Barak Hardley) try to make sense of all the footage they see and the murders they witness to find out who the killer is and what happened.
Though there are hints throughout and the ending isn’t a huge shocker there is a deeper point. It’s now pretty well-known that even what calls itself “reality TV” is all BS. Whether it’s THE KARDASHIANS or talk shows like DR PHIL, shock value is extremely important. Much of what we see that proclaims to be real is somewhat if not entirely fake. EVIDENCE succeeds at showing how severe the consequences are when we utilize sensationalistic imagery in criminal cases.
Overall, this movie is definitely worth the watch. One has to pay close attention to all that is going on because as most of it is done in a found-footage style, things are glossed over that come into play later on.
It’s a well-thought out and beautifully executed movie that serves both as a great horror whodunit and a strong criticism of today’s television tactics.
SCARED STIFF RATING: 7/10
