“What happens when a reality show becomes VERY much a reality and no longer a show?!”

In the mid 2000’s, paranormal investigation reality shows were on the rise.  Shows like Ghost Hunters, Ghost Adventures, etc., were becoming a household name and began inspiring many other shows and a few films as well.  One of those films was 2011’s creepy found footage movie Grave Encounters.  Written and directed by Colin Minihan and Stuart Ortiz, collectively known as The Vicious Brothers, Grave Encounters was a clever and interesting twist on the very popular found footage horror films at the time.

THE PLOT

The film begins with a television producer describing the popular, but short lived paranormal reality show, know as Grave Encounters.  He explains that the “found footage” he’s about to show is the raw and uncut last episode ever filmed.

The crew of Grave Encounters is a paranormal investigative group led by the show’s host Lance Preston (Sean Rogerson).  Along with Preston are an occult specialist Sasha Parker (Ashleigh Gryzko), tech. expert Matt White (Juan Riedinger), and camera man T.C. Gibson (Merwin Mondesir).  Joining the crew for this final episode is special guest medium Houston Gray (Mackenzie Gray).  For the show’s final episode, they decide to go out with a bang and do an all night investigation of the long time abandoned Collingwood Psychiatric Hospital.  After receiving a tour from the hospital’s caretaker and learning the twisted history of the place, Lance and the crew decide to voluntarily lock themselves in for the night with confidence that the caretaker will let them out at first light the following morning.

As night falls, the crew starts their investigation.  Although not much happens for the first few hours, Lance is extremely optimistic that this will be their best case ever!  Before long, the activity kicks in, and the team is floored at what they have caught.  As dawn approaches, they decide that they’ve captured enough evidence and start to pack up.  Little do they know, the hospital contains some dark secrets and they quickly realize that not only are they not alone, but the hospital’s “inhabitants” have no plans to let them leave without the best “evidence” that they or any other paranormal research team has ever captured!

SHOULD YOU SEE IT?

I for one LOVED this film!  During its release, my wife and I were really into ghost hunting reality shows, and paranormal movies as well.  It’s a very creepy movie, full of some really great special effects and excellent jump scares.  Being a found footage style film, you get a first-hand look at the chaos and high tension fear that the characters are going through.  Throw in some nice twists along the way, and you never know what might happen next!  If you ever have the urge to do some “ghost hunting”, be sure that you always have an escape plan, because you never know…YOU may be the hunted!