I have watched this twice now, and have changed my original rating from 3 1/2 to 4 stars. I think the first time I watched it I expected a standard horror movie, which this isn't. I actually really enjoyed this second time around as I could appreciate it's subtleties a little more. Instead of pretty cardboard cut out
teens with little background being terrorized, you have real characters here and the story takes time to build.I was very impressed with Agnes Bruckner here as Heather - i had only seen her play the cute girl prior to this. And while she is still attractive here, it is in a more plucky and individual way - certainly she is outcast here and teased about her red hair.Heather has been sent away to boarding school by her parents for misbehavior at her previous school. Her mother can't wait to get rid of her. She is offered a scholarship to this school, though she circles any old thing on her multiple choice quiz, which is the first clue that the beautiful, but creepy headmistress played wonderfully by Patricia Clarkson, wants her for some other reason than her brains! This takes time to build up as you slowly get to know the girls, and by the time some of them start to disappear, you care about them. Not an overly gory movie and the body count is fairly low for this genre, but I don't necessarily call that a bad thing. There are plenty of scares and creepy moments here.
February 17, 2008
