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Horror movies can be pointless yet still score major entertainment and scare points. Sometimes, though, a horror movie is way too similar (even if this is said to be unintentional) to another film to be enjoyed and remembered on the basis of the above-mentioned points. Sadly, THE ECHO (a.k.a. The Grudge) falls into that category. I saw this lackluster film premiere at Fantasia last summer and I do not remember it for the most part. And that, to me, in the realm of fright films, is the most horrific thing of all!
Bobby, fresh out of prison, returns home to find that nobody wants to know him anymore. And, to make matters worst, home is not what it used to be as Bobby’s mom has past away while he was in jail. And his mom died under mysterious circumstances, possibly involving paranormal forces and/or a neighboring apartment which is host to an endless domestic dispute. Are all of the tenants in on a conspiracy or turning a blind eye? Why are there strange noises coming from inside the walls? And, what actually killed Bobby’s mom?
It’s too bad the film ended up being so unmemorable and derivative because I really liked Bobby’s story and felt the film was at its best in the first half hour when all this madness was being set up. Bobby is in an impossible situation, his life being in a helpless, sad and pathetic state. At that point, the mysterious crime that put him in jail is perfectly alluded to, as is the fact both him and his mother could be mentally ill. And, I will also give this to the writing, there was a nice subtle parallel between the violence inside of Bobby and the horrific occurrences in the story. Furthermore, a scene where Bobby finds a tape-recording of his mothers’ demented final days was particularly chilling. The meaning of the film in the end is haunting (in a very sad way, which I liked) but I cannot say the finale was executed to its full potential by director Yam Laranas. On another negative note, completely wasted in a supporting performance, was actor Pruitt Taylor Vince (HEAVY, IDENTITY, BEAUTIFUL GIRLS) who should have been a match made in heaven with the creepy building and its story but sadly never registers.
With THE ECHO, one is left with a film with a fantastic sound design, a believable lead performance courtesy of Jesse Bradford (FLAGS OF OUR FATHER, SWIMFAN, BRING IT ON) and some interesting points about the society we live in. The film also has a few good scares. But, remaking in English his own film Sigaw, director Yam Laranas simply fails to deliver a consistent chain of interesting scenes and to provide a fresh horror premise or, at the very least, a good twist on one. The only echo I heard was, unfortunately, grudge-related and inducing.
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