PRESENTS

MONSTER DESIGN - This barely bridges monster.
MONSTER INTERACTION - I enjoyed the nuanced psychological monster work.
MONSTER ORIGINALITY - Spirit/all in your head
MONSTER FEAR FACTOR - While the "monster," itself wasn't very scary, the movie was.

PRACTICAL EFFECTS - Some solid leg stabs, coughing up of detritus, and spirit dragging that was quite enjoyable.
CGI/ANIMATION - f i couldn't tell there was CGI, maybe that was a good thing?
FX MAKEUP - I think the "soot," creature had some allure but not much else.

STORY - I enjoyed the story and was just the right amount of confused throughout.
CHARACTERS - Complex. Dynamic. Unique.
DIALOGUE - Well done and very minimal.

I really enjoyed this film. I thought that this movie lives in a world of successful and suspenseful horror. The major debate I'm having with myself is if this is a creature feature at all. Psychological spirit world is in the ballpark but certainly not a quintessential creature feature. There were many fearful moments and the soundscape elevated the energy (love me some good soundscape). An ideal set for sharp lighting angles and confined shots and this film played to the strength of "crazy." The acting should be commended all around. While the film score may not reflect the highest of Bite nNight scores, it does score high in the fear factor realm.