The Shadow People (2017)

The Shadow People (2017) See below for preview images

I chose this movie because it had C. Thomas Howell in it.  He starred in The Hitcher (1986) with Rutger Hauer and he was a serial killer that taunted the BAU in Criminal Minds over a number of episodes.  He’s been in other things that I liked but those are the first two that come to mind.  Ever since I saw The Hitcher I was a fan of both actors.  That being the case I was really looking forward to this movie.

Unfortunately, C. Thomas Howell was the only good thing about this film and he didn’t show up until the last, oh, seven minutes of the movie.

This UNRATED movie is about two newlyweds that are anxious to make their new house a home, start a family and begin their new life chapter together.  Megan (Kat Steffans) and Andrew (Bug Hall) (yes, his name is Bug, no, it’s not a typo, I promise) are two hardcore lovebirds.

We start the movie seeing the two lovers riding in their car after a carnival/fair type event that they attended.  Andrew is constantly looking at his loving wife and not keeping his eyes on the road, almost causing them to wreck.  However, they make it home no problem.

As they adjust to life in their new home, Megan starts to see things that aren’t really there.  She is seeing strange shadowy figures and begins to hear peculiar sounds around the house.

Little by little, Andrew starts to question his own mental stability as his concern for his wife grows deeper and deeper.

The spirits in the house that she seems to be haunted by are having a horrible effect on Megan and this, in turn, begins to interfere with the marriage itself.

Megan becomes overwhelmed by the negativity lurking in the house.  So much so that her husband tries multiple times to get her to leave the house but, he is met with stronger opposition each time. 

Then Kaine, a Reverend (C. Thomas Howell) appears.  He blasts through the door preaching.  A giant storm has begun and rain is pouring down.  Andrew grabs Megan and runs out of the house with her in his arms.

Then a bunch of flashback type images come on screen, intermixed with current images of Andrew and Megan trying to escape their house.  These pictures are of a car accident…THEIR car accident.  Instead of making it home the night of the carnival, instead of NEARLY getting into an accident while ogling his girl, they did, in fact, get into a horrible accident.

The strange faces and ghost like images Megan was seeing throughout the house are actually bystanders and emergency service workers at the scene of the accident.  The Reverend shows up to give a final prayer as Megan dies from her injuries.  Andrew doesn’t make it either.

THE END

So, okay, I waited the whole movie for Howell and got a total of about five minutes of him…yet he is the top billed actor on the box cover.  The movie moved slow and there wasn’t NEAR enough of the ghosts and whatnot.

Plus, as you can tell from my summary, there is not a lot of substance to this film.  This movie focused SO MUCH on this couple and how much they make out and have sex.  I’d say about 90% of the scenes where both Andrew and Megan are in the shot, they are getting it on.  And it’s not like the traditional sex scenes in horror movies.  They are, shall we say, blatantly bashful about it.  You know what they are going to do and you can so tell that’s the final result of their flirtatious behavior but, it’s almost like PG-13 rating kind of scenarios.  And yet, they are trying to make it soooo risqué without getting an R rating…or more. But because of their shyness, this movie is NOT RATED at all.  By the third time you see this couple together you start asking yourself if “having sex” is all these two ever do.

I seriously doubt I will be watching this again or recommending it to anyone.  Ever.

RATINGS
1/5 Stars