The Film (2/5)

Jess (Katee Sackhoff) is a recovering drug addict with a new-found love for art. As she settles into her new community, she tries to reconnect with her teenage daughter Chole (Lucy Boynton). Chole is resisting this and in a night out with friends, she caves in to discover a local legend. A mysterious murderer can come back to life and haunt you, if you knock on her front door two times. Finding this childish, she knocks on the door anyway. Her boyfriend is soon murdered making Chole the next target. As the ghost haunts the teen, Jess starts to investigate the background of the legend.

Going into DON’T KNOCK TWICE (2016), I had high hopes for a new British horror film. Hammer and Amicus are two of my favorite companies for 1960s- 70’s horror, and the British just seem to deliver old fashioned scares without falling into many traps of modern horror. But sadly, DON’T disappoints on every level as a horror film, but isn’t quite bad enough to be a hilarious new “bad” film.

On a screenwriting level, the premise of an urban legend, while done to death, could serve as a spooky ghost tale. But instead on focusing on characters and mood, we get cheap jump scares and a rushed ending that leads to a sudden (ad lazy) twist. As for characters, both leads were terribly under written. Jess’s drug addiction is focused on, but her angst as a mother is treated like an afterthought. So, I felt alienated by her and stopped caring. Chole is just an average British teen with no personality.

On a technical level, the movie does shine. But it’s hidden underneath bad gothic lighting and a too shiny digital look. Not every movie needs a ‘film” look, but this felt like a YouTube video in spots. The CGI ghost effects are scary in theory, yet again the jump scares and lack of buildup destroy any suspense. There is an ugly grey color corrected look to the whole film which just doesn’t work.

As for our cast, Katee Sackhoff, from the modern Battlestar Galactica, does the best with her underwritten role. She can clearly act, and it’s a shame that her character is so forgettable and dull. Lucy Boynton (SING STREET) also suffers from this underwritten problem. Her character just comes off as stupid, which is a disservice to the story that could’ve been. Pooneh Hajimohammadi (THE MACHINE) is a bizarre beauty who is the only true creepy element to the script. Her mysterious look is clearly under used here. Nick Moran (HARRY POTTER AND THE DEATHLY HALLOWS) does a good job as the dirty cop who is on the case and doesn’t seem to be who he says to be.

Audio/Video (4/5)

While the movie leaves much to be desired, the Transfer and sound mix is top notch. Shout! / IFC give the movie a gorgeous 5.1 English Master Audio DTS-HD mix. The soundtrack and background sound effects are razor sharp with their mix with no noticeable hiss or pops. The 2.0 Stereo is a little blander, but doesn’t distract too much.  English and Spanish subtitles are included.

The 1080p HD transfer is well defined with balanced black levels and a clear picture. Some of the greys are too washed out. But overall, it’s pleasant to look at.

Extras (2.5/5)

Like the movie itself, the extras are lacking too. The making of featurette has some serious audio problems. There is loud room noise in every interview segment. And is ultimately unpleasant to watch. The trailer is also included.

Overall (2/5)

DON’T KNOCK TWICE suffers from how uninteresting it is. Not poorly made, just badly lit and as dull as paint drying, it’s just a shame. Skip it.