Het Zwijgen (2006)

I gave this one a try and didn't think it was bad. I found it to be quite a compelling film, just a bit of a shame about the ending, which was a bit confusing. The acting was reasonably good, although there were some weaker roles as well (e.g. that Chinese guy and that boss).

Other than that, the film looked good.

Certainly not a bad movie, but not a masterpiece either.

Translated from Dutch · View original

A typical film that is ruined by good intentions that are not realized. The story being told fails to really come across well. It remains unclear how, what, and especially why. The script is shaky and the dialogue is as flat as the Drenthe landscape. The acting is substandard. The Zaanstreek band De Kift in Koekange, Drenthe, was completely out of place to me.

But...the film still possesses a certain potential; it exudes an atmosphere of mystery that makes it a decent film after all, partly due to the skillful editing. A remake of this certainly deserves to be made.

Translated from Dutch · View original

A Dutch folk horror! Unfortunately, that sounds more appealing than it is. The pace is particularly slow, the characters are one-dimensional, and the plot is ultimately far too noncommittal. Every time it seems like it might get interesting, disappointment inevitably follows. It's a shame, because the film does have some atmosphere (those black-and-white archive shots don't fail to have an effect) and the locations are well-chosen. Unfortunately, it fails to become scary, suspenseful, or intriguing.

Translated from Dutch · View original