PRESENTS

The Power takes some old tried-and-true scare tactics and executes them so well that they feel as effective as they did the first time they were employed. Its use of darkness and the unseen, the suspenseful pacing, the climbing, screaming, wailing soundtrack - The Power uses our familiarity with these old tricks against us in order to achieve a freshly frightening experience. The grave yard shift haunting is nothing new, nor is the 1970's hospital setting or the evil doctor routine, but they've managed to compile these frankly unoriginal ideas into a story that manages to keep the audience in the dark and on their toes just long enough to stay fully engaged right up until the big finish. The Power's success is due in no small part to leading lady, Rose Williams, and her incredibly physical 'possession' performance, reminiscent of other greats like Train to Busan and Suspiria. The Power scored relatively low in the Monster rubric because it is only barely a monster movie, but the lack of a central creature should not dissuade anyone from diving in to this beautifully put together horror flick.