Emergo (2011)

Emergo, Not So Bad
Stars   :  Kai Lennox, Gia Mantegna, Michael O'Keefe
Score  :  6.5 / 10

 

This time, I am reviewing a movie title, Emergo, also known as Apartment 143. Basically, I like all genres movie, but watching horror movie has been a requirement for me. When I'm bored and not excited, I usually choose watch horror movie. It will eliminate my boredom and make me more excited. A few days ago, I received an invitation to watch Emergo from a friend who also likes horror movie. Of course I do not refuse and accept it with my pleasure hohoho.... ^^. Allan White (Kai Lennox) has just lost his wife in a car accident. Allan with his children, Caitlin (Gia Mantegna) and Benny (Damian Roman) moved into an apartment number 143. They often find something strange in the apartment.

Allan then asked help from parapsychologists to investigate it. They are Ellen Keegan (Fiona Glascott), Paul Ortega (Rick Gonzalez) and Dr. Helzer (Michael O'Keefe). They come to the apartment and bring full equipment. They activate a CCTV camera at the corner in every room. They use many advanced tools, which I was also not clear what the name and function. At the core, with the tools, they hope to find out all the strange that happened and can figure out what caused of it. They also stayed in apartment for a few days and took turns watching from a monitor all day.

Parapsychologists

Caitlin has a bad relationship with Allan. She likes to be alone in her bedroom. Her mother's death brought a great psychological impact on her. Caitlin also behaves less polite to parapsychologists. She was disturbed by their presence.

At first, parapsychologists did not find anything strange in apartment. But after a few days, they started to see some strange things happened. There are, a ringing phone with no caller, a teapot which moved by itself, the door which opened by itself, a painting hanging reversed, very cold room temperature, a sound frequencies beyond human ability, a laptop which can turned on by itself and many more. The terror which appeared with the small scale at first, started to up and endanger them all.

Possessed

Possessed

What is really going on in the apartment? Are parapsychologists able to uncover the caused of all the terror? What is the connection between White family and a series of terror? 

After watching this movie, I was reminded of the similar themed movie, Paranormal Activity. Both of them talked about the mission to capture phenomenon when humans are sleeping. But, I am not going to compare Emergo with Paranormal Activity because I only watched Paranormal Activity Part I. I was dissapointed after watching the first one, so I did not continue to next sequel. I'm also less interested with the movie which has a lot of sequels (except the series). In general, the story is too forced, in order to repeat the success of its prequel.

Emergo not offer a lot of different things, especially in a series of terror. Almost all kinds of terror can be found in other horror movie, such as minimum light, old apartment and possessed. A family problems that shown also still cliche. One thing that was not relevant for me is some of terror that leads to sexuality. Too forced and comes at the wrong time. Audience emotions will be distracted, between feelings of fear or just passionate. Perhaps, they do not feel them.

A Creepy Figure on Flash Light

But, do not underestimate first to this movie, because there are some interesting things found at Emergo. So this movie actually is not so bad. Emergo always able get back the attention of audience when the show is running with some smart way. There was a time when the audiences see a blank screen with no sound, in a quite long time (about 5 to 8 seconds). I wonder what is the purpose of the director gives pause, but it was enough to occupy attention of the audience and add the suspense. Especially at that time, the number of audience in the studio was slightly. It can be understood, caused Emergo has been long aired in cinemas in Surabaya. Just for information, Emergo was released in 2011, but newly aired in Indonesia in 2013. I don't know why. 

Back to the review, about a blank screen, an audience behind me, ask to his friend if the movie is being damaged when he saw a blank screen. The sound effects, BEEP, with a flash light, which happened quite long, about 20 seconds and dazzling eyes, could force the audience look back at the screen. The audience become curious and listen back what will actually happen. Emergo also quite surprising the audience with a creepy figure in an unexpected time. No need ugly face make up to make the audience scared, because a pretty face can be something scary in Emergo.