Shutter
Movie Review
"Shutter"
Review by Eric D. Snider
Grade: D
Rating: PG-13
Released: Friday, March 21, 2008
Directed by:
Cast:
I don't feel like talking about "Shutter," which is this week's bad remake of an Asian horror film, so instead I'm going to tell you why critics won't like it but regular audiences will.
The primary reason for the frequent disconnect between critics and moviegoers is simply that critics see a lot more movies. That's it. It's not that critics are snotty (though some are), or that general consumers are uncultured morons (though some are). It's just that the more movies you watch, the more likely it is that what you're seeing will resemble something you've seen before and will thus fail to impress you.
In this case, every single element of "Shutter" feels ripped off from "The Ring," "The Grudge," "Dark Water," "Pulse," "The Eye," and "One Missed Call" (to name the first six that come to mind). It's about an American couple (Joshua Jackson and Rachael Taylor) living in Tokyo, where they notice weird light flares in their photographs and soon start seeing the ghost of a pasty-faced, stringy-haired Japanese waif everywhere. The spirit is vengeful. There are lots of jump-scares, where you're startled by something happening suddenly and accompanied by a loud sting on the soundtrack. There are weird, unexplained phenomena that are "creepy" but illogical.
To me, "Shutter" is the epitome of gutless, derivative hack work. But then again, I've seen all those movies I mentioned, plus some of their original Asian versions. If you haven't seen them -- or any of the other recent lukewarm PG-13 thrillers like "The Ring Two," "The Grudge 2," "The Messengers," "Stay Alive," "Darkness Falls," "The Fog," or "An American Haunting" -- then all of this will seem new to you, and you may well find "Shutter" to be tense and scary like it's supposed to be.
If you've seen even one of them, though, this is all gonna seem like reheated leftovers. The time I've spent watching it and writing these 332 words about it far exceeds the attention it deserves.
Grade: D
Rated PG-13, one F-word, a little partial nudity and mild sexuality, brief bloody violence, general scariness
1 hr., 25 min.
Copyright © Eric D. Snider.
This work may not be transmitted via the Internet, nor reproduced in any other way, without written consent from Eric D. Snider.
This item has 13 comments
March 22, 2008 at 6:55 pm
It's funny, I don't watch many horror movies and I haven't seen any that you've mentioned in your review. That being said, when I saw the trailer at the movies, I thought to myself.......this movie is going to tank at the box office because it doesn't seem scary at all and it is like all of the other horror movies. Who will actually see this? I'm shocked to see it did pretty good and actually might come in third this weekend.
March 24, 2008 at 12:21 am
Okay, maybe it's just me, but I cannot watch Joshua Jackson in anything & can't think of him being in "The Mighty Ducks" & I just expect him to start quacking at any time!!!!
March 25, 2008 at 1:29 pm
U SUCK!!! IF DONT WANT 2 TALK ABOUT THE MOVIE THEN DONT HOW ABOUT U MAKE A MOVIE AND C HOW HARD IT IS
March 25, 2008 at 2:52 pm
Hahahahahaha! *wipes tear from eye* Thanks Kelsi, for giving me a much needed laugh.
March 25, 2008 at 3:03 pm
Please tell me #3 was just one of those joke comments from people who want screen time in the Stupid Comments features...
March 26, 2008 at 1:37 am
I wonder what went horribly wrong the brains of people like #3 that cause them to get ignorant, illiterate and roiled up at the slightest thing. This ain't a text message, darling.
March 29, 2008 at 6:30 pm
I love when self-important people get up on their soapboxes and preach about others being illiterate and ignorant to make themselves feel intelligent. This ain't English class, you [unwarranted personal attack]... What is this message board for? Oh well.
March 30, 2008 at 9:00 pm
I actually thought that, although it did seem like a ripoff of The Grudge and such at times, the plot was fantastic, and anyone who enjoyed the style of any of the movies you listed, they may actually enjoy this a lot. I for one loved it.
April 4, 2008 at 1:43 pm
It is sad that people have to fight over a dumb movie it might have been not that great but you dont have to fight over it.
It wasnt what I thought it would be but it was ok. I would see it again.
April 7, 2008 at 4:13 pm
"...that general consumers are uncultured morons (though some are)."
The fact that "Meet the Spartans" pulled off the top box office ratings for their opening week, and given your incredible memory to reference movies of long ago, makes me wonder if you aren't gnashing your teeth together and restraining yourself from writing a rant about damn near everyone being retarded. I personally would like to see a review that'd make people wonder if you are insane, misanthropic, or both.
April 11, 2008 at 3:41 pm
the original thai version is much better, this version is awful
May 16, 2008 at 11:07 am
I agree with Bagel, Shutter 2004 thai version is way creepier and is renowened in the j-horror industry as the scariest movie ever made if you dont include a lil cult classic called Noroi the curse look it up on youtube. This version of shutter has been so hacked at, that it becomes slow bore horror. How can hollywood do this beats me there obsessed with the fact these days of creating gorier and believable violence and calling it horror for example the hills have eyes, hostel and saw would be the worst contender I was reading somewhere that he wants to make people puke by the 6th or 7th one wasnt it getting old at no 2. Takashi miike [EDIT] all over this guy when it comes to what can i say distrurbing but illusive horror. Americans just cant produce a horror movie wit a chilling atmosphere, supspense and tension leave it the japanese, asian and thai people theve produced classics like kairo (pulse), dark water, ju on the grudge, dark water, shutter, the eye and tale of two sisters. There Iv had my complaint thanks for your patience and go find yourself a copy of shutter thai version. I repeat do not waste your time on this movie.
May 18, 2008 at 6:28 pm
Well Shutter was the first scary movie that I have ever watched. I have to admit it, It did scare me alot. I was too afraid to watch the whole movie. I ran out of the theatre. I only watched about 30 minutes of the movie. Its really creepy. I want the movie to come out on DVD though. I wanna watch the whole movie. I was afraid of seeing Asian people for like....2 weeks! But I liked all the parts of the movie that...I didnt close my eyes on and.......didnt run. But you people that have watched many scary movies.... I find it easy to understand how you guys feel.