Anticipation is not a term that comes to mind when playing a game of chance. You cannot just anticipate to win or lose, until the cards are dealt or the ball has fallen into the red or black numbered slot on the roulette wheel. Which in a way, is kind of like life. We can’t anticipate much until we are dealt our ‘hand’ in life. Usually a little good old-fashioned luck is involved. This week boils and ghouls, is no different. That is, until I saw what I landed on this time…
SPIN THAT SHIT!
Djinn (2013)
Whenever a film is randomly selected, I will usually do a little research as I am getting ready to view the film. When I checked out IMDB for some specifics, I noticed something and that anticipation I mentioned above began to happen. Scrolling through the cast and crew I came across the name of the director. That name, was Tobe Hooper. YES. THAT TOBE HOOPER. A handful of my favorite genre directors have recently fallen on hard directorial times. Argento, Romero and Carpenter come to mind. The hard times could be funding related or for other unseen reasons. Why has our beloved genre left some of its most celebrated storytellers hanging out to dry? So, has my anticipation been mis-placed? Where does Hooper fall in this conversation?
I will look into those answers in another article.
Djinn follows a young family that recently lost their only child to Sudden Infant Death Syndrome (SIDS). Distraught and wrecked with grief they decide to move closer to their family who live in the United Arab Emirates (UAE). But something is following them. In the Arab culture, they believe in Djinn. Mentioned in the Koran as a powerful force that can shapeshift and can take you over when you are weak-willed and full of sin. The Djinn were created in a smokeless and scorching fire. Can this young family survive the entity that is following them or is there something more sinister going on?
This flick is rather intriguing. Bringing to the forefront a cultural idea that some in the west may not identify with. The Djinn are not genies. As some may believe. They are almost like demons but have human characteristics. They have freewill just like we do. Choosing to do good or choosing to be downright evil. I do not believe Tobe Hooper was the best choice to direct this film. I think someone who understands the culture and the people better could’ve made this film completely terrifying. As it is, I believe it was a decent film. It felt like a made for TV movie honestly. Not too scary or bloody. Slow moving. I think overall, the movie completely missed the mark of what it could’ve been. The premise was really fucking cool. The execution was not so cool. I hate saying this, but as of late Hooper also should be lumped into the list of failing directors I mentioned above.
If you are looking for an eerie film, that could be much scarier this is for you. If you are looking for a film that isn’t too scary for your significant other, look no further. If you do not want to waste your time watching a film that is a shadow of an amazing idea and could’ve been so much more, this is that movie…
What is this week’s outcome?
This flick is only a loser because it had so much potential to be something great.
IMDB: 4.4/10
ZombiSurvivor: 5.0/10
Thanks for ready kiddies! As Always, follow and like The Horror Syndicate on Facebook or Twitter.
STAY SCARED!
-ZS
