Footage Film Review: A Visual Treat Lost in the Woods of Weak Writing

“Ever felt like you’re being watched? Well, watch this and you’ll be wishing for that sweet oblivion instead!”

Alright folks, fasten your seatbelts, because this is Review Rani riding shotgun with you on this wild roller coaster of a movie review. Our unfortunate victims, I mean, subjects today are a vlogging duo, played by Vishak Nair and Gayathri Ashok, who thought it would be a jolly good idea to follow their enigmatic neighbour into a forest. They probably expected to stumble upon a hidden treasure or a secret unicorn kingdom, but all they got was a haunted house, a full moon and a torrential downpour. A classic setting for a horror flick, if you ask me. But, hold onto your popcorn, because this directorial debut by Saiju Sreedharan is about to take a nosedive.

The movie started off with a promisingly eerie ambience and enough jump scares to make you spill your soda. But soon, it took a sharp left turn into thriller territory, with a plot that was as thin as my patience. It tried to touch upon postpartum depression and societal attitudes towards women, but ended up making as much sense as a fish riding a bicycle.

In terms of visuals, hats off to Shinoz’s cinematography. It managed to capture the ominous vastness of the forest and the haunting beauty of the valleys. There’s also a rather gripping underwater sequence that almost made me forget I was watching a horror film. And don’t even get me started on the chilling encounter with a herd of elephants. That alone deserves a mention in the annals of “What were they thinking?”

The narrative, however, was as disjointed as my understanding of quantum physics. Long stretches of the movie had as much momentum as a snail on sedatives. The couple’s intimate moments felt as forced as a smile in a passport photo. And the climax? Well, let’s just say it was as impactful as a mosquito on a rhinoceros.

The mysterious neighbour, played by Manju Warrier, was as underdeveloped as a half-baked cake. Her backstory was revealed through diary entries scattered throughout her apartment, but it left more questions than answers. And her communication through handwritten notes? Someone clearly needs to introduce her to WhatsApp.

As for Nair and Ashok, they were as convincing as a pair of happy newlyweds on a reality TV show. Their romantic exchanges flirted with cheesiness more often than they probably intended.

So, while ‘Footage’ had some eye-catching visuals, it could have used a lot more narrative coherence and compelling writing. Instead of a memorable horror flick, it turned out to be a forgettable attempt at genre blending.

Rani’s Wrap-Up: If you have a couple of hours to kill and no expectations to bury, ‘Footage’ might just be the movie for you. Otherwise, I’d suggest a rerun of your favourite sitcom. At least, that will guarantee some genuine scares and a few laughs.