I’ve been an avid defender of found footage films for quite some time. I find the shooting style to be unique and innovative. Due to it’s recent popularity, there has been a glutton of them over the past few years. This has made the subgenre tiring and repetitive. What was once a way of building suspense and playing tricks has become predictable. The only fun now is in calling the spots minutes before they happen.
I feel Nikki Chatwin realizes this and is playing with those feelings. There are quite a few moments in “15-05-08” where I thought I knew what was going to happen, only to be surprised. Chatwin twists the formula a bit, having the protagonists spying on a neighbor’s house instead of being inside of a haunted one. They’ve seen lights flicker in the house, despite the fact that the owners are on vacation. Is the house haunted or has somebody broken in?
By having the activity up in the air, Chatwin engages the viewer into a guessing game. Most found footage films as of late tell you from the start what you’re in for, reducing some of the tension. Here, you’re not sure if they’ll find a person or a ghost if they go and investigate. They believe it’s the latter, and you feel inclined to believe so (since they stay stationed at their house most of the time), but it’s never a guarantee.
Chatwin relies more on tension than cheap thrills. He hints at a few boo scares, but holds back. This works since you brace yourself for the loud bang, only to be greeted by silence. The only cheap tactic he utilizes is static on the camera, which occasionally emits a loud screeching noise. Other than that, the thrills come from a heaping of dread.
Even if you’ve grown tired of found footage, I’d recommend checking out “15-05-08”. Chatwin flips the formula on it’s head and keeps you guessing. The dread is built to so well it almost becomes unbearable for your nerves (I mean that positively). And since it’s only sixteen minutes, there’s not any drawn out dialogue. This one’s all thrills!
Final Verdict: See It