19 August 2016

THE NESTING. (2015) REVIEW BY SANDRA HARRIS.




THE NESTING. (2015) DIRECTED BY QUINN SAUNDERS. STARRING JODY QUIGLEY, KATRINA LAW AND LILI BORDÁN. REVIEW BY SANDRA HARRIS. ©

I watched this film for the first time over Halloween last year, when it formed part of the Irish Film Institute's 2015 Horrorthon. Unfortunately there were some sound issues with the film so I didn't get to enjoy it fully in all its glory but, even without the problems, I could tell that it was one of the sub-genres of horror I love the most. I'm not just saying that. I really mean it, haha.

You know those horror films where a guy and a gal move into a gorgeous old house in the American countryside, a house that looks as if it might have been built back around the time of the notorious Salem Witch Trials? The house usually stands on its own isolated bit of land and it's a deliciously creepy old monument, with a basement and an attic that have just got to be haunted...!

Guy and gal move into house, anyway, and weird stuff starts happening and it often turns out that the house used to belong to a wrongly-accused witch back in the Salem times and now the house is haunted by that witch who can't rest in peace until she clears her name or gets justice or revenge for herself in some way? I've seen many films in this vein and I always enjoy them immensely.

Well, THE NESTING, also known as APPARITION but I think THE NESTING suits it better, doesn't go down the witchy route but they've certainly got the house for it, anyway. I was thrilled when I was given the chance to review this excellent horror film because it's right up my street. Let's take a look at exactly what does happen in this atmospheric and beautifully-shot scary movie.

Doug and Lori are the young couple in question. Lori is thrilled skinny when Doug proposes and suggests that they leave their Philadelphia home and spend the rest of their lives together in this fabulous old country house which, as I said, could totally have been around in witch-hunting times.

I must say, for a nerdy chap with an unfashionable haircut, Doug is certainly talented at attracting the undying (or even dying...!) devotion of stunning-looking brunette females. Lori is a real looker and so is Jamie, the local graduate student girl who comes into his life after Lori is tragically killed in a car crash.

Doug's best friend, himself a nerdy enough type also, has a knockout brunette girlfriend as well. Both men definitely seem to be punching above their weight, heh-heh-heh. Maybe it's because they both have big jobs in 'city' finance, or maybe the director was bezzie mates with the chap who owns the 'Gorgeous Brunette Females Acting Agency...!' Good on ye, lads, anyway. Why shouldn't dweebs with their hair parted on the wrong side get the hot girls for a change?

Things go downhill altogether for Doug after Lori's death. He holes up in the house that's nowhere near finished being decorated and chooses to wallow in his misery rather than do as his friends suggest and re-join the land of the living.

He pushes Jamie away repeatedly, but Jamie, the beautiful girl with a history of being in abusive relationships who's had her eye on him even since before Lori died, is a persistent little cuss and she refuses to be thwarted. Well, you know what these desperate single women can be like when they've got the bit between their teeth. You might as well ask a pitbull to put down the thick juicy steak between his slavering chops. Tsk, tsk. Women. Sometimes they're their own worst enemy...!

When Doug and Jamie get together, the nightmare really begins for them both. What ensues is a VANILLA SKY-esque kind of mix of reality versus fantasy that does Doug's head in completely and places Jamie in real danger. Does she deserve what she gets? After all, she pushed Doug into a relationship before he was ready. She wouldn't take no for an answer. As she's made her bed, so to speak, must she now lie in it? Well, you guys can be the judge of that yourselves.

Have you ever seen VANILLA SKY, by the way? Tom Cruise has never looked more toothsomely handsome playing David Aames, the sexy millionaire playboy whose life takes on nightmarish qualities when he can no longer distinguish fact from fiction or reality from fantasy. Don't feel too sorry for him, however, as whatever reality he's in he's got either Cameron Diaz or Penelope Cruz for company. Who bloody cares if he's awake or dreaming? Seems like he's onto a winner either way, if you ask me...!

THE NESTING is very VANILLA SKY-ish in places, especially towards the end. Methinks the director was a fan, heh-heh-heh. No harm in that. VANILLA SKY is one of my favourite films. It helped me to get over a bad break-up back at the start of the 'Noughties. 

Losing myself in its sexy visuals and terrific soundtrack totally helped me to forget about my lousy life for a couple of hours every week for nearly two months. Yep, that's how long films stayed in the cinema back then in the Dark Ages...! It's not like that nowadays.

Anyway, the ending of THE NESTING is just brilliant. I really enjoyed it. I'd actually be looking forward to seeing what director Quinn Saunders does next, that's how good this supernatural horror film is. It's getting a much-welcomed UK release this week (supermarkets and digital platforms, etc.) via JINGA FILMS and SIGNATURE ENTERTAINMENT and it'll be well worth the few quid.

To conclude, one thing about the film that really gladdened my heart was the apparent ability of wives and girlfriends to give their blokes endless grief and emotional bullshit even after they (the women) have passed on into the afterlife. Brilliant! Men totally have that coming, the little rascals.

It gives me hope for the future, too. I can think of any number of troublesome exes of mine who are going to get the rough edge of my tongue after I've been cremated and my ashes scattered over Tom Cruise's back-yard so he can really feel me when he looks out his bedroom window every morning. Well, why shouldn't my earthly remains end up there? I'm sure you'll agree, they gotta go somewhere...!

  AUTHOR BIOGRAPHY OF SANDRA HARRIS.

Sandra Harris is a Dublin-based novelist, film blogger and movie reviewer. She has studied Creative Writing and Film-Making. She has published a number of e-books on the following topics: horror film reviews, multi-genre film reviews, womens' fiction, erotic fiction, erotic horror fiction and erotic poetry. Several new books are currently in the pipeline. You can browse or buy any of Sandra's books by following the link below straight to her Amazon Author Page:

http://www.amazon.com/-/e/B015GDE5RO

 You can contact Sandra at:


http://sandrafirstruleoffilmclubharris.wordpress.com





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