11:11 is Canadian B-horror film, shot in BC. It starts off excellent, with an intriguing concept. But by the end of the film you can't help but feel lost and confused by the convoluted storyline. I don't think it's as bad as some other reviewers make it out to be...but it's not particularly good either. While shot well enough, the ending seemed to be rushed- relying upon an over-exploited twist that seem forced and rather unnecessary.
The film focuses on Sarah, a University student who is studying the paranormal in order to better grasp her own psychic abilities. She comes from a traumatic past- during which she witnessed her parents murdered- which still affects her to this day. And because of this, a group of local thugs like to pick on her, as they perceive her to be a freak.
Essentially, she is haunted by the ghost(? possibly a demon or angel?...hard to say based on the info provided) of a young girl who she has seen throughout her life- even before her parents were murdered. At points the director seems to lead you to believe there are actually two ghosts in the film- one of the young girl (who has aged in her ghostly form), and the spirit of the mother- but by the end there seems to be only one...and this was all a subtle attempt to ruse the viewer. However, the way in which it is compiled renders it all very confusing and hard to follow.
Anyways, whenever someone has intentions to wrong or harm Sarah...they find themselves meeting a terrifying and deadly fate. The local police suspect she must be involved but can't bring themselves around to arrest her without any evidence. The local thugs are sure she is to blame though- and seek to dole out their own brand of vigilante justice.
But every time someone tries, they wind up dead. And it is suggested the entity that has been haunting Sarah since birth is responsible.
To decipher what this entity is, one must pay close attention to the background details at the beginning of the film. A newscast running in the background of an early scene suggests that the film will be oriented around the poltergeist phenomenon. Poltergeists are not, in fact, ghosts. They are externalized manifestations of the psyche originating from psychically inclined individuals who have experienced instances of intense emotion or trauma in their lives. However, it could be argued that this is not reinforced in the conclusion of the film. Hence it being another source of confusion. I personally perceived this to be another subtle attempt to ruse the viewer and throw them off speculating where the conclusion might lead.
What actually seems to be going on, is that- on the day of her parents murder- the first of 11 gates opened in the realm of spirits, allowing both angels and demons to enter the earthly realm, in order to wage a war between each other, as means to bring about the apocalypse (whether that be the dawn of a new age, or end of the world as we know it).
Sarah is apparently a "Child of Absalom"- mythologically described as a group of humans that have been "chosen" to do the bidding of said angels and demons in the aforementioned apocalyptic battle.
With that being said, everyone who messes with her ends up dead...and this spiritual entity seems to be to blame.
All this forces Sarah to face an ultimatum, which culminates with an ending that is both bizarre and convoluted (complete with last second twist).
As far as Canadian horror films go, this certainly isn't the best (nor is it the worst). The concept is really quite intriguing; and it starts off great...only to lose you by the time the conclusion rolls around. In the end, it comes off like a student's attempt at making a psychological thriller for a university film course. The cinematography and acting are decent enough, but the storyline and plot structure really needed to be cleaned up. It seems to me, that this is another ghost film inspired by The Other- with a few additional elements added in. You probably won't love it, but you might not hate it either. It's one of those films.
4.5 out 10.
The film focuses on Sarah, a University student who is studying the paranormal in order to better grasp her own psychic abilities. She comes from a traumatic past- during which she witnessed her parents murdered- which still affects her to this day. And because of this, a group of local thugs like to pick on her, as they perceive her to be a freak.
Essentially, she is haunted by the ghost(? possibly a demon or angel?...hard to say based on the info provided) of a young girl who she has seen throughout her life- even before her parents were murdered. At points the director seems to lead you to believe there are actually two ghosts in the film- one of the young girl (who has aged in her ghostly form), and the spirit of the mother- but by the end there seems to be only one...and this was all a subtle attempt to ruse the viewer. However, the way in which it is compiled renders it all very confusing and hard to follow.
Anyways, whenever someone has intentions to wrong or harm Sarah...they find themselves meeting a terrifying and deadly fate. The local police suspect she must be involved but can't bring themselves around to arrest her without any evidence. The local thugs are sure she is to blame though- and seek to dole out their own brand of vigilante justice.
But every time someone tries, they wind up dead. And it is suggested the entity that has been haunting Sarah since birth is responsible.
To decipher what this entity is, one must pay close attention to the background details at the beginning of the film. A newscast running in the background of an early scene suggests that the film will be oriented around the poltergeist phenomenon. Poltergeists are not, in fact, ghosts. They are externalized manifestations of the psyche originating from psychically inclined individuals who have experienced instances of intense emotion or trauma in their lives. However, it could be argued that this is not reinforced in the conclusion of the film. Hence it being another source of confusion. I personally perceived this to be another subtle attempt to ruse the viewer and throw them off speculating where the conclusion might lead.
What actually seems to be going on, is that- on the day of her parents murder- the first of 11 gates opened in the realm of spirits, allowing both angels and demons to enter the earthly realm, in order to wage a war between each other, as means to bring about the apocalypse (whether that be the dawn of a new age, or end of the world as we know it).
Sarah is apparently a "Child of Absalom"- mythologically described as a group of humans that have been "chosen" to do the bidding of said angels and demons in the aforementioned apocalyptic battle.
With that being said, everyone who messes with her ends up dead...and this spiritual entity seems to be to blame.
All this forces Sarah to face an ultimatum, which culminates with an ending that is both bizarre and convoluted (complete with last second twist).
As far as Canadian horror films go, this certainly isn't the best (nor is it the worst). The concept is really quite intriguing; and it starts off great...only to lose you by the time the conclusion rolls around. In the end, it comes off like a student's attempt at making a psychological thriller for a university film course. The cinematography and acting are decent enough, but the storyline and plot structure really needed to be cleaned up. It seems to me, that this is another ghost film inspired by The Other- with a few additional elements added in. You probably won't love it, but you might not hate it either. It's one of those films.
4.5 out 10.