Panic Fest 2022

I'm not a huge fan of found footage films, but because I'd heard significant buzz for Robbie Banfitch's “The Outwaters,” I jumped at the chance to watch this. I enjoyed the setup. The characters were likable, the setting was beautiful, and the sound design was impressive. Presenting different POVs by establishing separate memory cards is a highly clever idea. It creates the opportunity to have a Rashomon-esque narrative structure in a found footage film. I was very intrigued by that first act and the potential of what the film was building towards. Unfortunately, “The Outwaters” becomes an incomprehensible mess once the horrors manifest into the story. As is common in found footage (and why I don't like most found footage films), nothing is visible on screen. The film's final hour is presented in near-complete darkness except for what's illuminated by possibly the world's smallest flashlight. Watching sixty minutes of shaky cam footage and characters running and screaming with no discernible narrative direction was a very frustrating viewing experience. At least most found footage films have the decency to be less than 80 or 90 minutes long. One and fifty minutes is far too long to sit through a movie this frustrating to watch. I seem in the minority regarding the initial reactions to this film, so you may want to check it out to see for yourself. 

— 1 / 5 ⭐