I was surprised to learn that this film was written (and directed) by a young woman and not, as i suspected, by a middle-aged man who was trying his best to imitate the vernacular of "the kids these days." so, that itself should stand as a testament to this film's believability. there are basically two kinds of horror movies now. the major studio pg-13, sometimes R, fare that crams jump scares down your throat. and the low to middling budgeted affairs that tout a slow burn with upscale production values and a magnetic third act to seal the deal (and of course, those that try to emulate that). this is the latter. however, the acting is not up to snuff. not even remotely. the writing is lazy, unconvincing, and given no real chance to blossom. the sound design and mixing are hideous. and the third act is heinous and includes a creature reveal that is not only laughable, but negates every bit of fear and suspense the first 70 minutes of the movie spent cultivating. it's not entirely a waste of time, but it is close.
Review of Head Count
