RETURN TO PONTIANAK is the sort of movie we should be seeing more of in the digital age -- it embodies the "let's make a monster movie" DIY ethos. It looks great, using the flatness and graininess of DV to good effect, and its overall orange tint creates a sickly, claustrophobic atmosphere. The resurrection of the Polynesian myth of Pontianak, the p***ed-off undead woman scorned, provides a unique jumping-off point for the enterprise.
That said, the film is tonally inconsistent, veering from snarkiness to earnestness to numbness. (Is it just me, or were the other characters nearly Bressonian in their studied apathy when discovering the first dead body?) Also, the script and performances are sadly wanting. DIY doesn't mean going with an undercooked first draft, or going with first takes even when they include flat-affect line readings. Overall, PONTIANAK feels too much like a BLAIR WITCH-inspired lark which suffers greatly for the comparison. This is an admirable first effort from a talented group of filmmakers, but they still have a ways to go.
That said, the film is tonally inconsistent, veering from snarkiness to earnestness to numbness. (Is it just me, or were the other characters nearly Bressonian in their studied apathy when discovering the first dead body?) Also, the script and performances are sadly wanting. DIY doesn't mean going with an undercooked first draft, or going with first takes even when they include flat-affect line readings. Overall, PONTIANAK feels too much like a BLAIR WITCH-inspired lark which suffers greatly for the comparison. This is an admirable first effort from a talented group of filmmakers, but they still have a ways to go.