Well....that's an hour or so I won't get back!
I know I know.....the reviews should have been a warning, but I like to give films like this the benefit of the doubt. I really wish I hadn't on this occasion. I was drawn to this film purely because I live not too far from Mansfield and it was refreshing to see a British take on this genre, which is usually dominated by American-made movies.
So the film is called 'Mansfield Street', set in Mansfield, and filmed by a guy called 'Richard Mansfield'. Coincidence? Or total BS? I should have picked up on this dodgy detail right at the beginning. The 'acting' is absolutely atrocious and in no way did I care, feel sympathy for, or route for the main character; in all honesty, I just wanted him to die spectacularly and for the film to end asap (the ending made the whole thing worth it, even if it wasn't spectacular!). I didnt care about his move from London, his wandering around Nottingham or his dodgy neighbour.
The concept was promising but the film just couldn't execute that promise. In the age of constant CCTV, video doorbells and mobile phone footage it was definitely relevant to current society. Unfortunately, the film doesn't add anything to the found-footage genre at all and is pale in comparison with other, similar films. As soon as you are introduced to the support character, you instantly know what part she plays and why; as soon as she handed over the 'gift' you can easily figure out the gift is the cause of all his problems. Also, when you see the ghost for the first time you can tell straight away that it isn't a ghost at all; why the hell would a ghost need a masquerade mask?!? Maybe it has crippling self-esteem issues....who knows! I'm not sure whether to view this film in a serious light, or if it is meant to be tongue in cheek. Either way, it doesn't work.
In a nutshell, the film is sluggish, boring, very amateurish, poorly filmed and acted and is a tired version of the found-footage genre. If I were new to this genre, this film would make me steer clear of similar films which is really sad.
