The Canal

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source: The Canal

I found the lead in to the characters started not badly but then jumps 3 or 4 years (them being in the house the whole time) little indication of anything weird about the house or main character until the fateful night of the wife's death. The events of the night make very little sense in the context of the lead in ... no indication of intoxication but then its like he's on an acid trip ... make no sense at all without a proper lead in. I'm voting bad writing / screen play at this point and am hesitant to watch the rest of the movie. I sit back after getting some ice cream hoping to see it get better. It does improve to suspenseful moments and some shocking bits with obnoxiously loud sound effects and some very hard to hear dialog all the way to a bit of a lame ending.

Just caught this in Tribeca and the reaction of the audience was nearly as good as the film itself. I don't normally enjoy "horror" movies but this was different. More intelligent and interesting than the usual "watch out behind you " drivel one sees these days. I think I will have to see it again as the style was very unique. Whether this was driven by the the budget or a genuine attempt at a fresh approach to the genre I have no idea , but it worked for me. It's rare, for me, to have a film continue to unsettle three days after a viewing but this one stays in the mind. I would have given it a higher score but I felt it tried to do a little too much in the time allotted , but hey, it beat the hell out of the dross that normally comes out of big budget Hollywood these days. Go see it if you dare and order 2 portions of popcorn , one to eat and the other to hang on to ! you won't regret it !

The Canal is a competent movie with a decent script and competent acting. The problem with this movie is that it tries to be too many things. Is it a horror? Is it a psychological thriller? Is it a movie regarding possession? If one views this expecting a horror movie then they will by sorely disappointed. I viewed this as a psychological thriller and I think this best describes this movie. There are not many scares and I know that the director was heavily influenced by the movie 'The Ring'(you will know what I mean when you see the movie). The plot is your basic haunted house plot where a family David and Alice along with their son move into a house that was where a murder took place. The father murdered his adulterous wife, the babysitter and his children. Events start mirroring what took place previously. David finds that his wife has been cheating on him, thinks about confronting her but eventually blacks out, only to find that his wife has gone missing. Did David have something to do with his wife's disappearance or is there something more sinister at work? The lead actor Rupert Evans does a great job at portraying the father caught up in a web of fear, grief and betrayal. The supporting cast is good too. You wouldn't go to the cinema to see this. Rent this on DVD/Blu Ray or wait for it to come on free to air TV. Jackal75

Having seen tons of horror movies, I decided to give this a fair chance. I enjoyed it. It's well filmed, well acted and well written. It's about a couple and child who move into a house (with a dark history). The man soon after discovers his wife is cheating on him and dies under mysterious circumstances. The police suspect him, he suspects a dark force related to the house is to blame. The movie is filmed in such a way that the viewer isn't certain if a dark force is responsible or the man is possibly insane. Even the man is struggling with that as he desperately tries to weave the facts together to solve what occurred to his wife. All the while, his four year old son remains in the house being scared to death by his father. Bottom Line- I liked the movie but perhaps being a parent with small children of my own caused me more difficulty in watching it. It's probably one of the better movies of this type but I don't see myself wanting to review it again at any point in the future.

This is definitely a more familiar sort of slow-paced, atmospheric horror, but like so many of its kind, when done right they really work. This isn't a slam dunk or anything, but it's pretty effective for what it is. If you really don't overthink everything, you sort of know everything that is going on, but it doesn't matter. It has some truly strong performances here, and the atmosphere allows for some really creepy scenes to ensue. The climax could use from even more outlandish material, but as it is it makes its point and is pretty effective. For horror fans this is recommended, and for everyone else, well, look as to what types of films you like.

THE CANAL is yet another faceless instalment in a never-ending run of cheap haunted house type movies in which ordinary families are scared out of their minds by apparitions and the like. You know exactly how these films will play out before they start: lots of dark sets, attempts at suspense, brooding atmosphere and the like, and not a whole lot of substance. The entirely unsympathetic Rupert Evans (HELLBOY) is a poor choice of lead, playing an uninspiring guy who moves into a murder house with his wife and young child. Eventually the family are caught up in a series of sinister events, and THE CANAL is always ready to play up the psychological angle of the hauntings, to make you wonder if the events are really happening or if they're just in the main character's head. As if we really care. The film also contains the most blatant rip-off of RING that I've yet to see.

This movie gave me the bad creeps. Couldn't walk downstairs alone after. Had to wake my husband ups total freak show. I had to hide my eyes for parts. Right down to the ending. I wasn't that impressed by The Conjouring. At all. This movie is that movie to the tenth power. It's a slow creep. It's strange how we all get scared by different things. I'm not a jump out scare person. I'm the type that likes the times when you know something horrible is coming. And you have to make yourself look.. This movie did kinda copy a part in The Ring. Another movie that scared me when it first came out. It was just as effective this time around. The demons in this movie are scary. The murder scene in this movie is probably the most shocking one I've seen on film. It was so in your face. Most times movies try to hide in some shadows, or clips.. This movie gave me the feeling I wanted to step back. To get away. I needed some space between me and the scene. Anyways, make sure you have someone to hold onto. Don't watch this one alone.