He's Out There

Man könnte sagen – nichts Neues unter dem Mond auf einer Hütte am See. Diesmal befolgt es aber angenehm die Tradition von klassischen Slasher-Filmen und es ist intensiv genug, damit die Subgenre-Fans zufrieden sind. Die Mutter mit den Töchtern in Gefahr und im Haus gibt es keine Schusswaffe. Nur ein Küchenmesser versus ein neuer Jason mit einer Axt. Wenn ich es "in der Realität“ in Prag an einem Dienstagabend sehen würde, hätte ich dem Film snobistische drei Sterne gegeben. Auf dem Sitges FF, in einer Flut von zeitgenössischen Horrorfilmen, bei denen sich die Autoren ständig um etwas Geistreiches und Bahnbrechendes bemühen (und diese Eigenschaften nur einer von Tausend hat), gebe ich respectful 4*. [Sitges FF] (10.10.2018)

I can't give a higher than a slightly above-average rating, because I caught myself being bored about halfway through the film. Fortunately, everything was saved by a more lively (but, at the same time, more dead) final third. The main villain strongly reminded me of Jason from Friday the 13th, and the book reminded me of the Babadook, so the screenwriter could have been a little more inventive. However, the sister duo were quite convincing as the terrified sister duo, and I could heartily root for the main character. Yvonne Strahovski is sure nice to look at (she would be the only reason for me to watch the third season of The Handmaid’s Tale, if it wasn’t for the terrifying prospect of Elisabeth Moss on the other end of the scale). 3*+ (26.10.2019)

Dennis Iliadis, the director of The Last House on Left did a little home invasion/slasher and made it under the pseudonym Quinn Lasher, why I really have no idea. It's a fairly brisk genre flick that may not bring anything new to the table, but it certainly won't offend fans of the genre. A mother and her two daughters go to a cabin in the middle of nowhere, where a psychopath in a mask who definitely has no mercy for anyone is lurking. The film paces nicely, has a nice atmosphere, the suspense works and there are three solid gore scenes, so I'm not disappointed, just wish that the ambition had been higher. 60% (18.10.2018)

Filmbooster lists one Quinn Lasher as the director, but the truth is that the person behind the film is the talented Greek Dennis Iliadis. I wonder what’s happened to him to have fallen so low this year. After years of delay, the anticipated Delirium went straight to Blu-ray in the US and was in the realm of the average, and now his name has been quietly erased from He’s Out There – not that the result is anything to brag about. There are signs of an ambition to do certain things a little differently than in the usual slasher movie by some untalented nobody, but in all respects, the film is still too ordinary and uninteresting. I didn’t feel any energy or enthusiasm and I wonder whether there isn’t anything more pointless than lazy horror. About one quarter of the film is dedicated to Yvonne Strahovski calming down her two annoying brats, which really got on my nerves. And I also don’t understand why it is so awfully bleak visually. Overall, not recommended, even though you can find worse. (15.08.2018)