lyrafowlpotter
'The Atoning' is not a horror film in the modern blood and guts sense of the term, but rather a drama with common Horror elements. it is supernatural in some ways, but there is no gore to be had, and not really even any jump scares, that's not the kind of movie it is. It is not a movie for anyone who is used to large budgets, and doesn't enjoy micro budget films. It is a much better film than people are giving it credit for, and it is clear most of those watching it have not watched many very low-budget films, whereas, I want them frequently, and I generally enjoy them; sometimes more than their big budget counterparts. It is also not for those who like fast- paced films, or are expected gore. You will not find any of that here. If you have seen and liked movies such as: 'Lo', 'Bethany', or 'Beyond the Gates', you will likely like this film. It isn't the same thematically to any of those per say, but they are all similar in their confinement to one main location, have spotty, but overall good acting, and are extremely low budget.What you will find is a quiet, micro budget thriller, with an above average script, great cinematography(the director was a cinematographer), a good score that isn't obnoxious, and some good acting(from most of the cast{there is some wooden acting by some), and not good just because it's a low budget film. I've watched a number of films such as this thematically, and although different 'The Forgotten', 'Soul Survivors', 'Premonition'(the one with Sandra Bullock' and 'Passengers'(the one with Anne Hathaway), come to mind, but this film's script is stronger than them, and it isn't being cryptic and convoluted for the sake of being cryptic as those films were. The editing is also far better than those films. Yes, there are a couple choppy sequences here and a couple confusing cuts, but they are brief and easily ignored, and don't hurt the overall film. For the most part, things run smoothly, and the film doesn't suffer from a convoluted script or terrible writing like the films mentioned above. I very much enjoyed one of the twist, there are a few, and is obvious, and even though it was ruined for me in one of these reviews it didn't actually ruin the enjoyment of the film which is saying a lot. The film does maybe a little more foreshadowing than it reasonably should, but again, it did not take away from my enjoyment. There were still enough unanswered questions that kept me guessing and wondering until right at the end when the final things were revealed. Unlike most mystery-type movies, I felt the final reveals to be quite satisfying. I didn't leave feeling dissatisfied, and that is extensively rare for me with movies of this type. I found the makeup effects towards the end, while primitive, to be well done. I am a lover of practical effects, so I did appreciate that they used very little CG, there are definitely a few aftermarket computer effects, coloring, blue hues, heightened eye color on the creatures, some black swirls, but they were minimal and enhanced the overall effect. I enjoyed the creatures, and I thought the those paying them did very well at being sinister and creepy, you could tell they were having fun. As for the psychic others mentioned, I'm glad I thought she would be a total scenery chewer, it made thugs seem less over-the-top, and she want at all over- the-top, you want that, go watch 'Witch Board', but something about her acting was different. I looked on her IMDb profile, and she is primarily a stage actress, things make sense now. This actually explains her somewhat exaggerated expressions(she naturally has a very wide smile and a naturally expressive face), on stage everything has to be bigger to be seen by those in the back, but even with that, she was fine, and, I thought, effective in her role. The father's affecting was not phenomenal, but it was appropriate, once you get to the end, his emotionlessness makes total sense, and while a better actor could have done more with the role overall, he was appropriate to the role and still decent. The mom and kid were miles away the best acting-wise, and thankfully the wooden acting was reserved for those with the smallest parts, you'll know once you watch it, it was none of those I already mentioned, saying who may ruin part of the plot. The direction was serviceable, not spectacular, but cinematography was great, some may not appreciate the lingering shots, but I find them effective and enjoyable, not distracting. For a movie this low budget, the cinematography is heads and tails above where it should be, and it gives the film a very classy feel. This is a movie that fans of well-made low budget films, slower-paced films, and fans of well-made low-key thrillers will enjoy. Anyone else should steer clear, you will absolutely hate it, which is truly a shame. I hope Mike Williams makes more films and learns from his mistakes the next go round, if he does, he will go on to make some truly great films. God Bless ~Amy
