8/25/78

Directed by Brandon Young

Warning – This review contains spoilers.

8/25/78 presents itself as a chilling piece of found footage, portraying a gruesome and unsettling home invasion. The film begins with an unassuming family going about their day, but quickly shifts into a dark and terrifying portrayal of violence, as masked intruders descend upon the home. From the start, I was drawn into the eerie silence of the film which amplified the tension. The project uses the classic found footage technique to heighten the suspense but what caught me off guard was the twist. While this unexpected element added to the shock value, it also raised unsettling questions about the dynamics at play.

The story is straightforward, showcasing a violent home invasion that slowly unfolds through old, grainy footage. The father-son dynamic, with the child taking part in the violence, is unsettling and difficult to connect with. I found myself questioning the reasoning behind the attackers’ motivations, which left some gaps in the narrative for me. Despite this, the film’s pacing is effective, building suspense as we move from the family’s peaceful moments into a nightmare scenario. The brutal nature of the event and the masked killers appearing in the background while the family remains oblivious created a palpable sense of dread. Still, the overall narrative lacked clarity in terms of why these particular characters were targeted, leaving the ending feeling more ambiguous than conclusive.

The film captures the found footage aesthetic well, but there are some areas that could have used a bit more “movie magic”. The lighting felt too dark at times, making it hard to follow certain scenes, though this fits within the genre’s typical style. The sound was patchy, often picking up camera noises, which pulled me out of the immersion. I get that this was intentional, fitting the found footage style, but it became distracting. On the positive side, the cinematography stood out, particularly during the kill scenes. The framing of the killers lurking in the background while the family remains unaware was one of the film’s most effective techniques. The editing maintained the flow of the story, and I appreciated that there were no confusing jumps, making the scenes easy to follow despite the chaotic nature of the violence.

While the film successfully captures the essence of horror and delivers suspenseful moments, I struggled with the moral implications of the story. So hey, I’m probably not a psychopath…Wahoo!  Still, fans of found footage horror will likely appreciate the film’s throwback to classic slasher themes, and the twist at the end will catch audiences by surprise.

8/25/78 is an unsettling, gruesome found footage film that effectively builds suspense and shock value through its stark portrayal of a violent home invasion. Audiences familiar with the horror and slasher genres will likely appreciate the tension and twists, though the subject matter may be unsettling for some. This should go without saying but this film is for mature audiences.