HansWind
Nifty little combination ghost story / teen slasher film. The storyline isn't unique, but it has enough twists, turns and odd angles to keep you watching.The main characters are better fleshed out than in most films of this type while the supporting characters are functional and believable. Lou Diamond Phillips in a larger than cameo role lends some acting credence to an otherwise no name cast. Despite the lack of well known actors, the acting is a cut above the norm for the genre as is the overall writing.The film has its highs and lows, but for the most part it delivers what fans of ghost stories are looking for, though it might not have quite enough gore for the hard core slasher fan, but it has a little too much for a pure ghost story.Well worth the watch if you like the teen thriller, ghost story, bloody mystery genre. This film is an interesting mix that you don't often find.
Tss5078
This movie would have been so much better if they had just focused on the paranormal aspect and turned it into a Sci-Fi thriller, instead of a slasher film. The mystery surround the towns past is truly fascinating, but the accompanying slasher part completely takes away from what is otherwise a very good story. Melanie and her family move from the big city to a small town after a recent tragedy. Once there, Melanie becomes obsessed with a local urban legend and decides to discover the truth behind it with the helps of some ghost children. Leah Pipes gives an absolutely amazing performance as Melanie. I hate it when such a great performance goes to waste because it's in some limit release horror film. I'd never even heard of her before this film, but she was so engaging and really got me into this film. Her sister in the movie is played by Kristin Cavallari, who is possibly the best looking girl I've ever seen. She didn't have as big a role in the movie, but she was so supportive and sweet when everyone thought her sister was crazy. Fingerprints seems like a cheesy b-horror movie, with it's poor cinematography and inexperienced supporting cast, but in reality, it's a fantasy story intermingled with a completely unnecessary secondary plot. I really had a love-hate relationship with this movie, because it could have been so much more than it was.
slayrrr666
"Fingerprints" is one of the best ghost/slashers around and is immensely enjoyable.**SPOILERS**Returning home from rehab, Melanie, (Leah Pipes) finds her sister Crystal, (Kristin Cavallari) is the only one on her side, as their parents are upset over her situation. When she takes her to a party with friends Penn, (Josh Henderson) and Mitch, (Andrew Lawrence) they tell her about a local legend in town involving a bus of children at a railroad crossing years ago, and immediately begins thinking that the stories are true. When a series of accidents in town has he convinced even more about the stories, she soon learns the horrifying truth about the incident that was covered up years ago, and sets out to prove it correct to the doubting family and unsuspecting towns-members.The Good News: This had a whole lot of stuff worthwhile to like about it. One of the best features is that there's an incredibly strong story to it, one that feels unique and creative while also being able to deliver the framework for a great horror story. The back-story involving the haunted crossing is great, just the sort of thing you would find in a small town like that, and the way it's ingrained into the film is perfectly handled, from the growth of the myth to the different scenes where it's put into practice, are just a lot of fun and really well-done. When it's done to be a part of the film, such as the first two hauntings, it's just absolutely brilliant and creates an incredibly eerie atmosphere. The first one, where the friends stop to test it while an oncoming train approaches with them all frantically yelling to move and the ghosts appear to move it at the last second, is frankly one of the single best scenes in the film. The second one, where the technique is tried by a skeptic and transformed into a believer, is great due to the appearance of the ghostly hands appearing on the windshield due to the dew from the environment is a great tactic that makes it creepy and chilling than it would've otherwise. Later ghostly visions, including the spectacular freak-out in her bedroom when the ghost first appears in the mirror and then beckons for help, then showcasing a series of gruesome images to her, from the hardly distinguishable to scenes of a mouth being sewn shut and decomposing body parts crawling with bugs and maggots, as well as other frightening images that are done in just a few seconds time, allowing for a genuine freak-out that propels the story along even more, making for an absolute blast of a scene. That there's another one done somewhat later, still within the realms of plausibility in the film but done so as to urge along for more investigation following a string of dead-ends through the exact same tactics as before, with the sewn-shut mouth and maggot-covered body parts are just as effective as now, they're shown as to be allowed a clearer vision and just makes them all the freakier. Aside from the creepiness, there's also a somewhat fun and enjoyable action-packed finale that has a lot going for it. With the appearance of a spectacular-looking killer, an incredibly decrepit and worn-down looking basement that makes for a great setting for the action, and plenty of back-and-forth stalking on both ends are all wrapped up into a fantastic set-piece that is just really awesome. Mixed well with the brutality in the wounds and the dirty, disgusting look of the place, there is really nothing wrong with this sequence. The last plus here is the incredibly high blood-and-gore quotient, which is nice to have. There's a multitude of impalings with a metal pole, a razor blade slicing up an ankle, one is visibly shown to have their mouth sewn shut, one has impaled horizontally through the neck and another is run over by a train, among others in here, making this one quite messy at times when it wanted to. These here are the good parts to it.The Bad News: There wasn't a whole lot to this one that didn't work at all. In fact, the main problem to be had with this one was the frankly unbelievable family life that's portrayed here. From the very start, it's hard to believe that a family life would be in this light. Instead of being welcoming and trying to help their daughter get past it, having them constantly bellow at her for slight transgressions isn't that believable in a family, and nothing at all is given as to why they act like that. It gives off the feel of just being included to add more drama to the film, but it doesn't work that way at all and instead becomes irritating at times. Some of the early scenes don't make any sense either, such as the trip to the party despite being out of rehab less than a week, and the scenes showing them at school don't really serve much purpose, but still, the family life is the big one here that holds it down.The Final Verdict: With a lot to love about this one and a minor flaw to hold it down, this is one of the best entries out there in the genre. Really give this one a shot if you're into the killer ghost films or more modern-day slashers, or just the plain interested, while those who aren't fans of the style should heed caution.Rated R: Graphic Violence, Nudity, some Language, an unsuccessful rape attempt and underage drinking
