Emerging 143

In Spain, it is Emergo, in the US, it isn't. It starts out with many strikes against it. The main one being this is another entry in the 'paranormal investigators investigate a weird place with fixed and handheld cameras'. Which means that a lot of camera angles are strangely positioned, or else jump around too much to make out
what's happening on screen.

As said, this is an investigation. In this case of a particular apartment, where strange things are going on. And, to the movie's credit, it gets weird straight away with lots of loud thumping and such, and doesn't muck around with a slow, slow, slow build up of very small things. (Although one moment does involve the slight movement of a wooden bench, which is the sort of ridiculous thing we've come to expect.) Indeed, there is so much actually happening, you wonder why they are either a) staying there, or b) haven't called in much better scientific investigators. But in this world it seems there is no supernatural, only things that haven't been explained, because everyone knows about psychokinetic energy and... a whole bunch of completely spurious pseudo-scientific claptrap various characters spout like it is supposed to mean anything. Although the 'explanation' is more interesting than 'oh, look, it's the devil'.

Which is where the movie should be rated better. While the set up is very familiar (too much so), it does try different things, such as actual phenomena happening, and a non-standard acceptance of the strangeness. This should make it nouveau, but the expected familiarity is working against it. There even are a few actual effect scare jumps (although I admit I wasn't paying complete attention, make it easier to be startled). Being a Spanish film, this isn't an American cookie-cuttered reproduction.

All of which means this is worth more watching than other 'paranormal reality' movies... just a shame this is another 'paranormal reality' movie...

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