Shawn's Shutter Review

2008 Movie #41 - Shutter

Sadly I think April brings an end to our monthly pattern of at least one japanese horror remake. Things didn't get off to a great start with the awful One Missed Call but picked up slightly with the surprisingly decent The Eye in February. Now we wrap things up with Shutter, which sadly is much closer to One Missed Call in terms of quality.

The sad truth is that you've already seen this movie at least 12 times in the past few years. Absolutely nothing happens that you don't expect. In case you're worried that maybe this remake doesn't feature a creepy japanese girl ghost popping out of random places for most of its running time, there's no need for those fears. Scared that maybe there isnt heaps and heaps of unneccessary back story about all of the characters? Or maybe that there isn't a twist revealing one of the protagonist's has a dark secret they're hiding? Well you can put all of those fears to rest because Shutter absolutely bathes in predicatable story telling and seen it before plot points.

It borrows pretty liberally from a ton of other movies that are usually better than this one. There's a plot twist (already spoiled in most of the trailers) taken out of What Lies Beneath. Everything else just reminds me of every other j-horror remake, especially The Grudge. Needless to say, a movie that reminds you heavily of the Grudge, may not be the best movie.

The movie also commits one of the main sins that a horror movie can...it's dull. There are long stretches of time where nothing exciting happens and whatever does happen you already knew was coming probably before you even sat down to watch the movie. The only thing that comes in to try and wake you up is the typical "HOLY SHIT A LOUD NOISE" type jump scares. There are a couple of semi-creepy moments near the end of the movie but nothing you haven't seen before, as I keep saying.

As is the case with many horror movies, the characters are very one-dimensional and have no qualities that make you care about them. Joshua Jackson does alright in the role he's given, however the same can't be said for whoever is playing his wife. I'd look it up but I really just don't give a shit. There are a few points in the movie that highlight that she's really not that strong of an actor. Then again the role doesn't ask much from her except to look scared or yell. So maybe it's not the most fair evaluation of her abilities.

I can't say that I'm upset we won't be getting any more of these remakes for a while. I think they just need to be put to rest for a good long while. They aren't doing anything to help the always struggling horror genre but I guess as long as they continue to make money, they won't die. However my next two reviews will be for horror movies that actually, for the most part anyway, get it right. In the meantime, if you see Shutter walking down the street, kick it in the chest.

* 1/5 /5