Last night Kim and I went to see The Forgotten. The original preview looked like a typical sort of crazy movie – woman loses her son and her mind at the same time. However, it was the later previews that really piqued my interest. You know, the one where the guy falling out of the building gets sucked up into the air. Needless to say, I was looking forward to this movie.
Let me start by saying this is a really well-made psychological thriller. I think there are elements of the movie that are somewhat Matrix-esque but they are largely ignored. While I am quite certain they won’t make a sequel, I think there is enough material to make a franchise out of the story. Though, I suppose without giving too much away, the X-Files has that covered.
The movie stars Julianne Moore as Telly, a mother who has lost her son Sam. She teams up with Ash, played by Dominic West, who lost his daughter on the same ill-fated flight. Or did they? The bulk of the story is spent around these two trying to convince people that they are not crazy. Then the NSA starts chasing them, and no one knows why. Things just get progressively worse from there.
I don’t want to give away the story, so I will simply say that it will freak you out. The movie has been made in such a way that you become really attached to the characters, feeling their pain, when right out of left field comes the scary parts. And it works every time, you get sucked into a relaxed mode, feeling sad for the character, then you get the living crap scared out of you. It’s quite a fun ride actually!
The lighting and sounds in the movie only adds to the eery effect. And the casting was done really well. Julianne Moore is convincing as both a crazy woman, and an amateur investigator. Her doctor, played by Gary Sinise, is at times both reassuring and scary. I am not sure who plays the “bad guy” but the look of him was just scary. Every time he was on camera, you got chills.
If you’re looking for a good scary movie without the blood, guts and gore, this one is for you. I really enjoyed it and left the theater feeling like my $14 was worth it. And really, what else can you ask for? Especially in the slower post-summer movie season. Anyway, I would recommend The Forgotten!
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