Jessabelle

Jessabelle is a movie that, unfortunately, relies too much on it's jump/scare moments & atmosphere to entertain rather than the plot or story. Don't get me wrong...the plot of the movie isn't that bad and the story is filmed out decently enough. It's just that it has a wee bit of a tendency to go a bit slow in places and at 90 minutes (which is average for a film these days) it could have been beefed out a bit better I think to make it not feel AS slow. Another aspect of the story is that, while it's not overly complicated or confusing, you do need to pay attention to what is happening because if you don't then the ending will make no sense whatsoever. In saying that however, even when paying attention, one part of the story still didn't make sense, but I won't say anything for very obvious reasons. Some of the scare scenes in the movie were actually quite good (especially considering that this film is only a PG-13) even if they were the good old fashioned jump/scare's. Sometimes the old tried and tested methods are the best and they were done well for this film. The atmosphere generated through the film is very decent as well, especially when it is working alongside the more scarier parts of the story. I know it's a given that atmosphere usually works well with creepy moments, but here it is nicely done throughout the movie. The cast do a pretty solid job too and the film is well acted. I mean there are no stand out performances that are Oscar worthy (no offense to the cast), but they all do a fine job with the script that they are working with. Given all of that, it does go a bit slow in places like I say, and I think that's really the only thing stopping me from giving it a slightly higher rating than what I have. Overall, Jessabelle is a decent, well acted out supernatural horror with some nice creepy moments that is just a bit slow. It's nowhere near to being the best out there but at the same time I've seen much worse.

Sick and tired of writers/directors trying to use the same old cliché dream sequence technique to just manipulate some scares in an otherwise boring horror film. Every time what may be a good scene starting to unfold it's the old oops it's only in her mind nonsense. The only real scares in this movie where in the middle of the film. It had no real climax. It became almost a movie for Lifetime by the end. Hollywood has no balls when it comes to horror. The rest of the world's filming industry tries new things, pushes the envelope and all their films are rated R for a reason.. This type of film has become a dime a dozen but we all still watch hoping it hasn't.

While this film gave the off the same creepy vibe from The Skeleton Key it was no where near as well made. The story is so overdone it's not scary anymore...the vengeful spirit waiting for the right person to come along so their lost soul can inhabit that body. So many plot holes left unexplained...where did Jessie actually come from, was there no medical professional present at the birth of the real child and why hadn't Jessabelle been torturing Leon he is the one who actually killed her...Jessie was an innocent victim, kidnapped from her real family and raised by an aunt...why should Jessie be tormented and eventually have her soul destroyed and her body inhabited by the evil spirit of Jessabelle? It really made no sense to me.

Stumbled onto this by accident on cable and was delighted with the find. I like horror films, I have seen a lot, and it is no easy feat to catch my attention, but for the first 99% of this movie (more below), I was having a heck of a time... First, Sarah Snook. What a career she has ahead. She is charismatic and empathetic enough to carry this "lone woman by herself" story and hold the viewer's attention like glue. She seems like a normal character, the kind you might meet in the supermarket, then the camera will suddenly catch her at just the right angle and the entire screen fills up with those amazing eyes. A plus. The story (except for the last 5 minutes) is also a big plus. It seems like a demented version of the 1973 drama "Message To My Daughter" with Bonnie Bedalia, except here the mother leaving the message (joelle Carter) is possibly insane and the message is nothing short of terrifying. Another big plus is the supporting cast. David Andrews is just brilliant as the father whose erratic behaviour could scare the $%&% out any kid. When he finally comes to a bad end, even though he is the only friend that Snook's character has in the world, the audience actually feels relieved. That's acting. And Mark Webber as the "ex" who seems to be trying to help Snook out of compassion -- against the protests of his confused wife -- also nails his character dead on. Lots of spooky bits, more than a fair share of scenes that would make you regret watching it by yourself. In other words -- and I want to be clear on this -- going into the ninth inning we were way ahead on points and this film looked like a gem. And then you have the "twist reverse" ending, and a lot of the air suddenly seeps from the fun balloon. My job as a reviewer is to call 'em as I see 'em. Just keep in mind that the last 5 minutes may introduce a jarring note to the story, and try to get your enjoyment from everything that comes before. And you will confidently scared out of your wits.

When i seen the title of this movie i honestly thought it was going to be a Camp Horror Spoof Of Annabelle... I'm deadly disappointed that its not ... please Hollywood people even the Wayne Brothers, if you see this make a camp horror movie about Annabelle Called Jessabelle, I know Jessabelle is probably Politically incorrect but in the name of humour cmon! I only watched a few minutes of this movie but couldn't continue because my mind went on a wonder of what a camp horror trans or drag doll called Jessabelle could be about. someone please write the script for this and make it a movie thanks cheers.

I first saw the trailer for this flick in April of last year, at a showing for The Quiet Ones (bad movie, by the way; do not recommend). Being quite the fan of the southern Gothic genre, I wasn't exactly impressed by the trailer but wanted to see it regardless. For some reason or other, Jessabelle never made it to my local theaters - thus, I had to wait for the inevitable RedBox release to follow in January. And what do you know, I finally got to watch it. Jessabelle is not a perfect movie. It does have its flaws. It does have its clichés. But it is an honest attempt at making a horror flick and it does work. The atmosphere lends a hand, with spooky southern mansions and dark bayous. And as it so often does in stories like these, voodoo eventually takes center stage. After recent horror releases like the dismal Oujia (a movie I personally despise), Jessabelle is a welcome change of pace. It is a slow-burner that brings to mind films such as The Skeleton Key (albeit 'Key being a superior effort). The cinematography is quite good and the acting is effective. Sarah Snook is certainly leading lady material, and you can see her potential here front-and-center. Providing a sympathetic lead can make or break a film like this and Snook does not disappoint. A side note is that she is totally gorgeous and looks just the part for a sweet southern belle. Final verdict: Jessabelle is nothing groundbreaking but one of the better horror flicks in recent years. Sarah Snook is one to keep an eye on. Worth a rental, but if you want to buy I'd say wait for it to hit the bargain bins.

Returning to her childhood home in Louisiana to recuperate from a horrific car accident (which left her unborn child and fiancé dead) Jessabelle(Sarah Snook)comes face to face with a long-tormented spirit that has been seeking her return—and has no intention of letting her escape.The action of "Jessabelle" takes place in backwoods bayou of Louisiana.The film was directed by Kevin Greutert of "Saw VI" and "Saw 3D" fame.The storyline is quite interesting and captivating and the voodoo imagery is quite spooky.Unfortunately long black haired female spirits in the vein of "Ringu" are too routine to be seriously scary.I must say that I quite enjoyed final twist,though.6 bayou ghosts out of 10.

An average haunted house flick, right up until the "great revelation" which has about 50 logic holes, which is when the film turns to crap. Why didn't the ghost of the murdered infant/woman get revenge on her killer? Jessabelle's adoptive father was in the house all along, yet he was never attacked by the ghost. Why would he get killed after so many years? WHY would Jessabelle's arrival start off the hauntings? She had nothing to do with anything. She isn't even related to anyone there. She is merely "baby substitute" for the murdered girl. Why didn't Moses's black relatives take revenge on her father for killing him and the baby? They showed a remarkable propensity toward violence when they beat up an innocent man who was trying to solve the riddle. Why didn't they at least report him to the police? Why didn't they call the cops instead of burying the infant? Why does this movie only harass and "punish" the innocent, allowing the wicked ones to walk free? This dumb film wants to actually have us believe that the killer of an infant i.e. her father gets away scot-free: 1) from the police, 2) from the baby's black relatives, 3) from the ghosts of those he killed or ruined. None of these people/ghosts get him, kill him, or at least arrest him or report him. What's their motive for not reporting any of the murders? A guy kills an infant savagely, replaces it with another baby, then kills a black man, and he gets away with it all despite so many people knowing about it. Sorry, but this isn't set in 1890 or in the Bronze Age, so none of this rings true at all. Furthermore, how the hell did the couple adopt an infant that quickly? Adoption is a process that takes months. You don't just go into an adoption agency and find an easy "replacement" for your murdered child. It's not Wal-Mart. Who write this rubbish? Again, this isn't 1890 nor the Cro-Magnon age, so I'm not buying any of this nonsense. Why didn't the ghost take over Jessabelle's body straight away upon her arrival? Why wait? Why would the ghosts of Moses, the blonde loony and their killed baby all blame Jessabelle for the mayhem? I've seen some idiotic ghosts in my time, but these ghosts are imbeciles, nothing they do (or fail to do) makes any sense. You can't just have zero logic in ghost behaviour, under the excuse that "oh well, ghosts move in mysterious ways". Every good movie about a haunting has some kind of a usable motive, ghosts don't simply kill randomly. The killer didn't notice that his wife was filming him killing the infant? That is dumb. It's a dumb movie, with a horribly stupid resolution that may be surprising, but only because none of it makes any sense whatsoever. The ideal horror flick for people easily scared, for people who might not be sticklers for logic, and for people who want huge plot-twists regardless how stupid they are.

Returning to her childhood home to recuperate from a horrific car accident, Jessabelle after finding some VHS tapes made by her deceased mother comes face to face with a mysterious spirit seeking vengeance. Director Kevin Greutert offers an interesting deep south Louisiana chiller, in the vein of Angel Heart and the Skeleton Key to name a few. The slow burning mystery's special effects are excellently executed and there are plenty of jump scares. Notable are Mark Webber and Sarah Snook as Jessabelle. Chris Ellis gives a strong cameo as Sheriff Pruitt and David Andrews (Terminator 3: Rise of the Machines) gives a solid performance as Jessabelle's Dad Leon. Even with some surprise deaths those familiar with the genre will have guessed writer Ben Garant's twist by the third act. But the novel idea of a mother making video tapes for her unborn child Jessabelle, then Jessabelle now a grown up watching them with her mother (who has since passed away) giving her daughter information via the tapes is a creepy and emotional idea. With an abrupt tagged on closing the meat of Jessabelle has been seen before and it loses its originality and scare factor by the ends reveal. That said, Greutert's film is great looking with an eerie atmosphere that is lacking in so many horrors of late.

After watching the trailer for this film, I must say I had really high hopes. As a devout Horror fan with a declared preference towards ghost stories and hauntings, I had looked forward to seeing another usual film of the genre, mediocre yet frightening and fun to watch. While Jessabelle is light-years away from competing with the sub- genres best like The Grudge or Dead Silence, it completes the task it unofficially took upon itself, as it obviously had no intentions of being profound or in any way great. Sarah Snook, while definitely not painful to look at to say the least, is far more than your usual Horror Eye-Candy made famous in classic Slashers. Trust me, this professional knows a hell of a lot more than screaming convincingly and looking fine in a bathing suite. This was my first encounter with her, and I must say she just might be the best thing about Jessabelle. Apparently she's been making quite a name for herself since 2012, and I can definitely see why. Even though her character is stuck in a wheel-chair, the empathy towards its desperation and helplessness is greatly created by Snook's acting skills. As for the story, it suffers from one of the known banes of Horror - a mediocre plot twist leading to an anticlimactic ending, after a finely made build-up. At least there is a plot twist, true, as Horror films are highly upgraded by these in my opinion, but the one in Jessabelle simply feels unfulfilled. I find it difficult putting my finger on what should have been better about it, I just know it didn't create the sensation we expect from such twists. I believe that was the main reason for the ending being slightly wanting. All in all, I found Jessabelle to be quite average, meaning anyone who doesn't expect to have their mind blown and being swept off their feet by a masterpiece could enjoy it quite a bit, as I did. Snook's acting and the sufficiently smart plot make it even slightly above average. As always, I would recommend that you ignore my humble opinion, watch it and judge for yourselves. If you ask me - as far as this one is concerned, it's definitely worth it.