Very disappointing...

Absolutely brilliant

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

A terrific literary drama and character piece that shows how the process of creating art can be seen differently by those doing it and those looking at it from the outside.

I don't think I would call this a horror - more of a suspense mystery kind of film perhaps.The acting was OK and so was the story. It does lack something to make the story or characters pop - or stand out as memorable.If you are expecting gore and being shocked out of your seat you won't get it wiht this film.

'The Atoning' drew me into seeing it, with a cool poster/cover, an intriguing and quite creative premise and as someone with a general appreciation for horror. That it was low-budget, which from frequent personal experience is rarely a good sign due to that there are so many poor ones out there, made me though apprehensive. It is sadly however yet another film seen recently, hence some reiteration because the exact same strengths and flaws are here present in those films, that to me could have been much better considering its potential which it doesn't do anywhere near enough with. 'The Atoning' is far from terrible, with a plethora of problems (huge ones too) and doesn't do enough with its potential, which was hardly small. There are things that are decent enough to make it a step above weak.Lets start with the positives. The scenery is atmospheric and spooky, and the film is competently shot. The music has some creepiness.Best thing about 'The Atoning' actually is the ending when the film finally gets intriguing and is actually pretty clever, even then it feels too little too late. The acting generally, apart from the dreadfully hammy acting for the psychic, is better than average, particularly from Cannon Bosarge. There is some creepiness here.Going on further to the negatives, the story does feel over-stretched and some of it feels vague and under-explained and never gaining momentum. Too many characters are too sketchy and with nowhere near enough to make one want to endear to them. Their annoying and illogical decision making and behaviours frustrates. Making the film feel bland and forgettable with not enough heart put into it. The effects are sometimes ropy and the sound quality is obvious and utilised cheaply (being too loud in the build ups and people's reactions). Dialogue can be stilted and rambling while the pace and film drags on forever, never recovering until finally getting intriguing to the ending. Found too many the supposedly shocking moments not surprising or scary and the supposedly creepy atmosphere dreary, due to the excessive obviousness, a lot of dumb and vague moments and explanations and the lack of tension and suspense. A lot of 'The Atoning' has underdeveloped plot elements and often nonsensical and confusing character motivations, while too many of the things to make you jump or shocked are far from creative or scary and are pretty tame.The psychological elements are unimaginative and are more odd than scary, generally failing to show any sense of horror. Some badly sagging momentum too. The direction is leaden, got the sense their heart was not in it.Concluding, lacklustre but not terrible. 4/10 Bethany Cox

This film is very low budget, and slightly stilted in a couple of places.It still works, and works quite well.It has a similar plot line to a major Hollywood release starring a terrible actress. I can't give its name without revealing plot details.But that piece of crap is a multi-million dollar budget toss-fest, and 'The Atoning' is better than it.Story builds.Nice foreshadowing.Spookiness.A couple of tasteful jump-scares.Special FX effort and money spent where it matters, not scattered willy nilly to try and polish a Spielberg or Whacko-Cows-on-Skis turd.Soundtrack carefully subdued and only 'kicks' where it's needed.ACTUAL PLOT! (They hired a writer.)Extra twist, a good one, at no extra cost! But now, we come to the problem with tiny budget films, especially intelligent ones that go over dribbling, driveling morons' heads as 'The Atoning' did.It is this - They have no promotional clout whatsoever.The other day I went searching, and found what I was looking for. Sites, services and individuals that offer to give lots of positive reviews, on IMDb and other review sites, for money. I knew they existed but I had to convince myself. They do. They're real. And I don't doubt for a moment they can deliver what they offer.Thus it is possible for Indiana Jones And The Kingdom Of The Crystal Meth, or Dreamcatcher, or anything starring Meryl Streep or Nicole Kidman, to have an IMDb score higher than 1.I think if the world of reviews was an honest world, few films would get above 5.'The Atoning' deserves the 7 I'm giving it.Eat me.- -- ---

For everything this movie does right, it also fails miserably at almost double the rate. For example, the cast was largely comprised of competent and often exemplary actors, including the lead actress and the child. Really superb performances. Then we have the father who is dull and monotone,two dimensional, and can't express emotion to save his life. The worst of the acting comes from the person who played the Psychic. She was such a damn ham, she literally ruined the second half of the film for me. This person obviously rarely acts, and believes that by being the worst stereotype of a psychic she could possibly muster, she might steal the show. News flash; you ruined every scene you were in with your limited and inane "performance".The movie takes FOREVER to get going, and when it does, you see it coming from a mile away. Everything in this film has been done before, and more competently, but some of the creepier elements were handled with great consideration. The "antagonists" were just people dressed in black cat suits, and the cheapness of the production really brought down its value. There are no real SFX to be found, everything is practical, but the worst kind of practical. Think "community theater" levels of amateur. It really ruined what was supposed to be the single best part of the film.Lastly, while the script was serviceable, the story was so limited and sophomoric, it was like watching a Lifetime film (wait, IS THIS A LIFETIME FILM?). The "twist" is cliché, the verbal exchanges made me hate the characters and the final act whimpered like an animal you need to put out of its misery. This movie is the type of production you make with the absolute lowest budget possible, and while it may work for more talented individuals, the people responsible for this film just don't have those skills at there disposal.Overall, this film got a few things right, especially in regards to the casting. But everything else just falls short of even the most bare bones horror film. I advise the people who made thing movie to secure additional funding for their next project, and to inject a less "school project" aesthetic to the SFX and the cinematography. It really elevates the level of the production when you are considerate about the visuals of said film. Avoid this movie, but keep your eye on anything else these people might make.