Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva

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Decided to write this because I saw part one of this fine little found footage horror movie and immediately rented the sequel without much expectation but I am pleasantly surprised. It's creepy, keeps you watching and expecting what would happen on the edge of your seat. Smartly made and it gives you just enough creepy dread horror bit by bit to keep you interested and scared. Yes, scared. I don't get scared watching 99% of horror movies but this one had me anxious and not wanting to see what comes out of the shadow of the infrared camera - because I was just plain scared. It leaves room for another sequel so hoping for the same soon. Good job.

This film takes place one year after the disappearance of Gary Hinge (Eric Mencis) in the high desert of northeast Nevada near Cypress. The film uses interviews, cell phone films, and dash cams to tell a story I am told was the same as the first film, but with a woman and not as good. Minerva (Solveig Helene) lives out east and goes to Cypress to take a course in geology as they study the open pit mine that operated there. I thought that might have been connected to the events. Minerva lives in a remote trailer and has one weird guy as a neighbor (Brian McPherson). Minerva films things. She was something in her walls bumping. She does film some figures in the night that look like folks in masks. Ameliana is the next person to go missing. It jumps from one to the other. Her car broke down along the road and something happened to her on dark cam. For some reason they look for her at night. The film was a complete bore. I had to stop it once to watch another film. I got zero enjoyment or entertainment from the production. Guide: F-word. No sex or nudity.

I am a hard core horror fan but this movie is something different you do not find with the typical slasher film. Much like Hitchcock, the director brings you into the pov of both the victim as well as the mysterious abductor which makes Blair Witch look like a children's book. The actors are A+++ and they all deserve an academy award! This scared the s#%t out of me so much I will have nightmares thinking about what I would do on that stretch of lonely highway 50 if I was in their shoes! I'm re-watching it during the day because at 2:00am in the morning it was too much! This is true writing, Directing and acting at its best! Please do more like this!

I enjoyed the first 'Horror in the high Desert'. It was a little slow but the ending sequence was well done and made the wait worth it. 'Horror in the High Desert 2: Minerva' however didn't work for me. It was equally slow but I never felt like the pay-off justified it. Found footage is always a tricky genre to get right, because it's so crucial that the audience buys in. I try and make the effort to always buy in, however it can sometimes be harder than other times. The interviews in this movie felt very fake. Camera angles and candid shots that would never be filmed or used are in almost every scene. It can be quite distracting. I was disappointed I didn't enjoy this one. Others seem to be thoroughly enjoying it, so I can't help but wonder whether a second watch would be worth a try. It looks like there will be more sequels in the future too so I will still check those out when they come along. This one wasn't for me though. 3/10.

I love it when a film can weaponize anticipation. There may not even be a big moment payoff. No jumpscare. However, the anticipation of something potentially happening is utterly terrifying. Minerva had me squirming. The first film was a masterclass in tension. Minerva amps that up without falling into the "bigger is better" sequel trap. It still manages to make simplicity work with a deft hand for creating a truly unsettling story. Not much unsettles me, but watching these films back to back made for a very tense, but enjoyable night. There had better be more to the story in the near future. Tiptoe Through Hell on Twitter @HellTiptoe.