"11-11-11" is a supernatural thriller. (Big Air Studios) |
There's a long tradition of tying horror films to calendar dates ("My Bloody Valentine," "Friday the 13th," "Mother's Day" and naturally the "Halloween" franchise), but writer-director Darren Lynn Bousman will have to wait a really long time to get another shot at "11-11-11."
In this dithering, choppy (not in the way horror fans would like) and fright-deficient scare flick, Timothy Gibbs stars as Joseph, a successful author plagued by visions of his dead wife and child. When news of his dying dad sends the atheistic Joseph to Barcelona, Spain, and the homegrown Catholic church offshoot his pastor brother Samuel (Michael Landes) runs, an escalation in weirdness — ghostly apparitions lingering outside the family home and hints that Samuel's life is in danger — suggest to Joseph that he's a conduit of bad things happening whenever there's an "11" involved in the time or date.
Bousman is best known for "Saw" installments II, III and IV, and although his latest is a decidedly less bloody genre offering, it's still a trap: a torturously dull waiting game of fake shocks, an incessant "something's coming!" soundtrack of chanting and moody orchestral noodling, dreary investigating into cultishness surrounding "11" and repetitive bickering between the brothers on faith, God, the devil and insanity. All until Bousman reveals the unstimulating twist ending.
If only "11-11-11" had arrived a little closer to Thanksgiving — the turkey connection would have been entirely appropriate.
calendar@latimes.com
In this dithering, choppy (not in the way horror fans would like) and fright-deficient scare flick, Timothy Gibbs stars as Joseph, a successful author plagued by visions of his dead wife and child. When news of his dying dad sends the atheistic Joseph to Barcelona, Spain, and the homegrown Catholic church offshoot his pastor brother Samuel (Michael Landes) runs, an escalation in weirdness — ghostly apparitions lingering outside the family home and hints that Samuel's life is in danger — suggest to Joseph that he's a conduit of bad things happening whenever there's an "11" involved in the time or date.
Bousman is best known for "Saw" installments II, III and IV, and although his latest is a decidedly less bloody genre offering, it's still a trap: a torturously dull waiting game of fake shocks, an incessant "something's coming!" soundtrack of chanting and moody orchestral noodling, dreary investigating into cultishness surrounding "11" and repetitive bickering between the brothers on faith, God, the devil and insanity. All until Bousman reveals the unstimulating twist ending.
If only "11-11-11" had arrived a little closer to Thanksgiving — the turkey connection would have been entirely appropriate.
calendar@latimes.com
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