The Pact (II) (2011) User Reviews

heavily underestimated

[koslowski-kevin · 26 December 2014]

at its first glance this film is about a haunting ghost story. but as the plot unfolds it unravels a more frighting mystery than you would have imagined. if you like horror movies that come along without too much gore and splatter, but excel at delivering a good story then please watch it. the acting may not be perfect at every moment, but it is sufficient without having yourself to facepalm too often.

I liked the setting, because old houses are almost terrifying on their own. the audio and visuals were also very well done. One thing I really appreciated was the modest but reasonable use of modern media through the film, where it is often deliberately left out in horror movies. I think it is because the writers are afraid that it might ruin the atmosphere.

EDIT: actually I meant the full feature movie (based on this short?)

go and watch it.

It is okay, but nothing really stands out

[Horst_In_Translation · 4/10 · 21 February 2019]

"The Pact" is an American English-language live action short film from 2011, so almost 10 years old now and the director and writer here is Nicholas McCarthy and this was his last short film effort before moving on to full feature films, actually before mving on to the full feature version of this short film here. Anyway, back to this one here. I must say I know neither the lead actress nor anybody else from the cast here, but that is not a problem, let alone a deal-breaker. Unfortunately, while the acting wasn't bad, the script did not win me over. I honestly hoped for more suspense. Obviously, they were taking the quiet route and it works during moments like when she is about to open the door, but the way they introduce that potentially dangerous spiritual presence is not entirely working or successful. The ending is really the complete opposite to a showy jump scare horror shock, she walks into the dark and we don't know what happens. That worked kinda fine I must say. But sadly it does not make up for all the mediocrities before that, especially when it comes to interesting character writing. I honestly can see this one here work as part of a movie, but not really as a stand alone movie itself in under 12 minutes. So I am not motivated unfortunately to really check out the full feature film that followed, but I do hope McCarthy solved some of the issues I had with this one here and introduced more interesting characters. This short film I give a thumbs-down. Not recommended unless you really dig and watch everything mystery-related. Even then, you could be disappointed.

Excellent!!!!!

[IrishLass240 · 10/10 · 28 May 2012]

For those interested, here's a summary from the press release: "In THE PACT, a young woman finds herself alone in the house of her late mother where an unsettling – and sinister – presence emerges.

Premiering as an official selection of the 2011 Sundance Film Festival, the short film THE PACT, written and directed by Nicholas McCarthy, stars Jewel Staite (Firefly, Serenity) and Sam Ball (The Event). Playing with Calvin Reeder's The Oregonian in the ʻPark City at Midnightʼ section of Sundance 2011, THE PACT is a dark ghost story told in a taut 11 minutes.

A legion of sci-fi fans know star Jewel Staite as ʻKayleeʼ on Joss Whedon's cult series Firefly, a role she reprises in the feature film version, Serenity. Jewel's tense performance in THE PACT as a besieged young woman is a unique compliment to her long resume in film and television.

Three-time Sundance director Nicholas McCarthy points to his love of the horror films of Dario Argento as an influence, but also to the subtler work of famed horror producer Val Lewton. "I wanted to tell a story about a woman dealing with a private, self-inflicted terror. My favorite aspects of horror films as diverse as Argento's Suspiria or Lewton's The Seventh Victim are their intense atmospheres. My goal was to call on those movies for reference and use them in the service of a character piece. I think the result is really different."