Return to Pontianak is an ultra-low budget Blair-Witch-knock-off shot in the jungle near Borneo. A Pontianak is a female ghost (like a banshee, the film synopsis at the film festival said, only it wasn't like a banshee at all, it was a lot quieter and more violent). The film was unquestionably a Blair Witch knock off--shot on DV, a similar structure, similar feel to the dialogue, that sort of thing. But unlike some Blair Witch knock-offs (like, say, Blair Witch 2), this one knew what made Blair Witch good, and it worked it. The creepy stuff was genuinely creepy--there's an exploring-the-abandoned-shack-like-an-idiot sequence which had me squirming in my seat (soon followed by a close-up-on-scary-looking-eyes shot that must rank among the best ever). To the films credit, there's a lot going on--there's more texture to the baddie, for instance. But there were definite weaknesses. You get the feeling they didn't have the plot all the way worked out, and you also get the feeling they couldn't afford as many takes as they might've liked. People were always wandering off and wandering back for no good reason. And when characters started getting whacked, it didn't seem to effect the other characters that much--maybe b/c all of them were so shrill to start off with. But it's definitely worth seeing, if you like that sort of thing. It's got the right kind of ending--this is the kind of evil that you can't fix and you can't escape from. It's evil and it's wrong and it sucks to be you and that's just the way it is. (7/10)
Review of Return to Pontianak
