Lord of Tears (2013)

I'm not sure why people give plot details in reviews. But whatever. It did not look like it would live up to the creepy vibe in trailer and took time to get there, and was worth the build up. I think most people who like horror movies watch a lot of them (I do) so you can usually see what's coming. And this did not. Slow beginning, solid story, excellent conclusion. If a movie is not a slasher the story has to be good and this was excellent well crafted story. This is not boobs and blood teen horror, if you enjoy a good story you will enjoy.

I would have given this film 8.5 to 9 stars if it had not been for the ghost girl scenes - that I wasn't crazy over - but the rest of the film was really good. Oodles of beautiful Gothic imagery - eye candy for Gothic lovers. And the story is good, it's about the Pagan Owl god Moloch and one man's path to find out his own history.I do recommend this one for those that like the older/classic horror styled films because Owlman is in the "spirit" of the classics tales.I did enjoy this movie - just wished the ghost girl scenes were more in the classic style instead of the modern style.. the rest of the film definitely has the look and feel of the older films and as with the storyline.7.5/10

The opening quick-cut myriad of imagery to 'The Owlman' is so bleak you can almost taste it. Rain, biting winter, frost, landscape, a dark figure in the trees – these things come together so beautifully that the film looks set to be something special. When the actual story begins, some of the initial acting makes the heart sink a little – the low-budget-ness of it all seems suddenly apparent.James (Euan Douglas) inherits a sprawling mansion in the Scottish Highlands from a mother he hardly knew. Her letter insists he never returns there, having suffered a breakdown there as a child. So, naturally, he feels he has no choice but to return, to see if he can identify what troubled him so.Once there, he suffers increasing nightmares, glimpses of a strange owl-like creature, discarded feathers in dark places. He makes friends with Eve Turner (Lexi Hulme), a mysterious, beautiful American girl living in nearby renovated stables. ("What do you do here?" he asks. "Don't spoil it," she replies – shades of 2015's 'The Last House on Cemetery Lane'). SPOILER: The fact that Eve isn't 'real' is no huge surprise, nor I suspect is it meant to be. She is presented and played as larger-than-life, enigmatic and deeply eccentric, especially in contrast to James' more sober bearing.James is in regular contact with his friend Allen Milton (Jamie Gordon), who also appears to be afflicted with nightmares, and that of his father's seemingly incurable illness.Steadfastly, James learns his parents worshipped Moloch, a Canaanite god, and provided it with sacrifice. Unable to bear offering their son, they contracted a nanny and killed her instead. Eve is a manifestation of that dead girl. Once that connection has been made, Eve (and the narrative) take on more traditional horror film territory, jumping from MR James to David Lynch (not a bad combination). Eve's extravagances are suddenly not charming anymore, but ghost-like and terrifying. Watching it all is the Owlman (who appears to be the physical manifestation of Moloch), promising foul things to avenge the girl.Later, as James is telling his story to Allen, it appears Allen also worships Moloch and sacrifices his friend in order to save his father, seemingly condemning James to be the ghost who inhabits the estate instead of Eve.It doesn't matter that the acting is not always stellar. The story, the mood, the atmosphere, the location, the direction are all stunning, resulting in an extremely effective ghost story/tragedy. 'The Owlman' is the directorial debut of Lawrie Brewster, a name to watch out for. It won two awards at the 2013 Bram Stoker International Film Festival – one, an audience award, and the other for Lexi Hulme's performance.Highly recommended.

Deeply philosophical, startlingly fresh, Lawrie Brewster's film blends modern film making techniques with old school sensibilities to create one of contemporary horror's first true classics. Reaching back to horror cinema's roots, and further back to ancient folklore and myth, Lord of Tears crafts a bleak picture of trauma and grief against the otherworldly backdrop of modern Scotland.Schoolteacher James Findlay (Euan Douglas), inherits a monolithic Scottish manse after the death of his mother along with a personal letter advising him to never visit said location. Against the posthumous warning, James travels to the remote mansion-cum-resort amid fragmented memories of horrible things and the spectral visitation of the Owlman in his nightmares. There he meets the quixotic Evie, an American boarding at the hotel, and the two quickly become friends. Despite his rather milquetoast demeanor, James and Evie develop a close relationship as he struggles to piece together the mysteries of the house with his own fragmented childhood memories and the omnipresent threat of the Owlman.Quite unlike many modern horror mavens Brewster doesn't seem enamored with the current trend of fast-cuts, extreme gore, and exploitative nudity - indeed one gets the sense he doesn't see the film as a 'horror' film at all - eschewing all window dressing in order to present a Gothic tale of personal terror framed in supernatural trappings. Much like the films of Ti West (Particularly The Innkeepers), this is a slow burning film with a core of pure magnesium that lulls you into its darkness before blinding you with horrific realization. I honestly can't recommend this movie enough and I look forward to any future projects Mr. Brewster and his creative partner Sarah Daly undertake.The first feature film from director Lawrie Brewster and written by Sarah Daly (who also appears as Metaphorest on the film's soundtrack) is a fantastic piece of Gothic horror - equal parts H. P. Lovecraft and Edgar Allen Poe. The promotional materials mention the film was 'inspired by the modern myth of Slender Man' but I personally don't see it…if anything Moloch's outfit perhaps but that's stretching a bit too far.The story mixes Gaelic folklore, biblical apocrypha, urban legends, and a healthy dose of childhood trauma to wondrous effect. The appearance of Moloch and the scattered nightmares James has of his friend Allen throughout the film serve as foreshadowing of the cold-blooded finale and cement the story as one of the originals in horror cinema. Equal parts John Carpenter & Kiyoshi Kurosawa, the film maintains a respectful distance from the proceedings yet brings the viewer into the psychology of its characters. This film, like Kiyoshi Kurosawa's oeuvre, thrives in decadent mood and atmosphere.The most striking point for me was the dearth of Owlman/Moloch in the film. With the advance publicity I expected the film to be rife with him but he is used sparingly. Not that the film needs much of him…he is the catalyst but he deserves to be in the background as the master puppeteer.Gavin Robertson's cinematography perfectly captures the almost alien look of Scotland in this film. From massive empty vistas of foggy mountains to the cramped claustrophobic angles and cool tones of James' apartment in the city, Robertson maintains a big-budget look that defies the film's modest cost. There are some minor artifacting moments on my copy but it seems like problems with the blu-ray mastering than flaws with the original footage. There's a bit of pixelation on certain scenes but nothing in the film itself betrays any inexperience on the part of the cinematographer. The Owlman sequences and dreams are particularly impressive with the kind of super saturation typically seen in photography and not cinema. The ending sequence with ghost Evie is particularly evocative of J-Horror but tempered by camera distance. The fact that Robertson was also art director on the project ensures that the film's visual flair remains consistent.Lawrie Brewster's work has paid off if the short films included on my blu-ray are any indication. It is clear from the shorts that he has a tremendous skill for visual storytelling as well as an eye for how style can dictate narrative. While I won't claim that I enjoyed all the shorts included, I understood that he was finding his unique voice and vision. The direction in Lord of Tears is focused and strong - hardly what I would expect from a first-time feature film debut. There's a palpable sense of confidence throughout but it's very clear that Brewster knows how to translate his visual style into arresting cinema.In all, I was swept away by this dark little tale and the pure love it must have taken to bring it to life. Unlike most low budget horror films Lord of Tears has talons and knows just how to grip your tender flanks.