loomis78-815-989034 Review of Seven Days to Live

Seven Days to Live (2000)

Not very original but still a decent time waster.

[6/10 · 15 March 2014]

Trying to restart after the devastating death of their son, Ellen (Plummer) and Martin (Pertwee) move to a big house out in the country. Martin is an author who begins writing his new book, while Ellen who is still trying to cope with the loss of her son starts experiencing unsettling and eerie things. She begins to receive visual messages warning her she has seven days to live. The movie begins to count down each day as she receives new messages. Ellen also starts seeing her dead son around the house and she begins to investigate the history of the house. Built on a marsh where thousands of bodies had been dumped the evil that surrounds the house is casting its spell. Martin becomes extremely agitated and he directs it at Ellen, as he becomes increasingly hostile. This film made in New Hampshire and the Czech Republic is a mix of ideas from other horror films. Martin's character truly turns into Jack Torrance of "The Shining" with abuse towards his wife and his writing. A great early scene has Ellen looking at an old photograph, and one of the people in the photo comes to life and looks at her. Effective but lifted from "Phantasm" when the Tall Man did the same thing. The ending scene in the basement with the house sinking into itself and creatures rising from the water in the form of shadowed zombies is scary and unnerving. Some suspense is delivered with some moderate chills sprinkled throughout. Amanda Plummer is a fine actress but her casting as the lead Ellen seems like a stretch here. This is not exactly dripping with originality but it is serviceable has a decent time waster.