Rating of
2.5/4
Let the Light Guide You
Chris Kavan - wrote on 05/25/15
A group of five teen decide to visit a local forest at night (one known for suicides and other strange phenomena) for a game of flashlight games (kind of like hide and seek or something). One their group was close to someone who took their life in this same forest - and, of course, bad things begin to happen. Flashlights flicker, mutilated animals are found, branches fall - but, none of this detracts our group from playing their game.
Nightlight shares hints of the Blair Witch Project before it, the haunted forest, a scary place in the middle of the woods (in this case, a church) and some of those same eerie atmosphere. But whereas Blair Witch was a ground-breaking horror film (and essentially the granddaddy of all found footage horror that followed), Nightlight comes along late in the game and though it has its moments, it's nothing you haven't seen before.
In face, I would say the defining trait of Nightlight is how twisted the story is. You're never quite sure whose alive or dead - possessed or real or... well, you can't trust anything, pretty much. It's a bit hard to follow for this kind of movie and the end really does nothing to clear things up. I wasn't sure if the whole thing was vengeful ghost seeking revenge or just a a shared hallucination by this none-too-bright group. Maybe that's the point is to let you decide ultimately what was behind the film.
The characters at least didn't follow any outright stereotypes - then again, they weren't exactly given that much background or personality to begin with. I guess you could call them typical teens? Hormones come into play, a bit of cattiness between the girls, posturing by the guys - probably a more realistic depiction of this kind of group than you usually see. The dialogue is nothing to write home about. The scares are both of the "jump" scare variety but the other part is the excellent atmosphere brought about by clever use of light and the sound effects. It can get unnerving.
Nightlight is a good choice if you are a fan of previous found-footage style films. It doesn't quite fall into the same trap as some of the others I have seen, yet it's not original enough to be considered a standout in the genre.
