Pretty Good

I really wanted to like this movie. I feel terribly cynical trashing it, and that's why I'm giving it a middling 5. Actually, I'm giving it a 5 because there were some superb performances.

This movie tries so hard to be funny, yet it falls flat every time. Just another example of recycled ideas repackaged with women in an attempt to appeal to a certain audience.

The movie's not perfect, but it sticks the landing of its message. It was engaging - thrilling at times - and I personally thought it was a great time.

Lovecraft's original story is only about nine pages. This movie pads it out into a hour and half of boredom, unnecessary characters and a gender switch of the protagonist. (Lovecraft had almost no female characters in his stories.) It looks like everyone involved in this film was related, and it kind of looks like one of those awful fan films you see on YouTube without the good CGI. Of course, the movie is made a bit worse by the fact that we know now that "Science doesn't work like that", and they try to add a supernatural element that Lovecraft didn't bother with. (Supernatural elements and C'Thulhu being in his future.) We also see creepy scenes of a narrator hitting on an an autistic girl. The dialog is just dreadful when they try to add onto Lovecraft's original narrative.

The story in itself is good, but the script lacks any tension build up. Mostly because the acting is very animated and unrealistic. Just like the very, very bad voice over (voice overs in Horror movies do not work) The soundtrack makes the whole thing even worse, like a low quality 80's soft porn movie. There is not a flinch of tension, terror or horror in it. Even a 3th year old would be bored. Also the house interior lacks character just like the actors. No interesting camera angles, no special lighting effects. It is very bland. With the location, so much more could have been done. Because the exterior of the house does work. The whole does not do justice to the original story, Hopefully someone will make a good adaption more in the line of insidious.

2.5 of 10. You don't want to be stuck in a theater with nowhere to go when watching this, but not because it's scary. Despite its shortness, it feels painfully slow and I needed to increase the playback rate to get through.The acting and the FX are not at fault in this. The story and script simply have nothing of interest to share. Worse, obvious parts that needed updating to adjust for the age of the story it's based upon didn't get updated. Setting the leftovers of the 1980s in decay and the thin, white Apple notebook computer is a clear indication they wanted to provide a modern interpretation.Instead, it feels like a late 1940s/early 50s Hollywood script using tricks to hide the lack of substance. At best, an addition to an existing TV soap opera where the expectations and quality are already low.

The original Lovecraft tale was set in a period when there was so much left to the readers imagination and life experiences were much more inside the head than experienced in reality. The world of the mind Lovecraft so exquisitely created has rarely if ever been duplicated in films of his works. With Cool Air we have maybe the very best adaptation ever because it doesn't attempt to show us what we fear or manipulate us with shocks or sounds. Instead this movie pulls the viewer into his or her imagination. And that is where we experience Lovecraft's sad, morbid tale of how far we will go to hold onto life or lives. The film makes your skin crawl and I found myself actually forgetting to breath. You hold everything so tightly and its almost unbearable tense, yet very moving. You really feel Lovecraft here and not some crazy "interpetation". Bravo to the writer for being a conduit for Lovecraft's world and actors for making you forget that these are performances. They create an almost documentary feel to the characters so you really believe in every moment. Not to be missed if you love Lovecraft!