"Found" footage in movies has become a cliché and this is especially true when it comes to horror movies, neither of which are known for being original or being well-done.
Grave Encounters is not particularly original but it is done very well.
Overall, the story is nothing special. It follows a tv show called...wait for it..."Grave Encounters". "Grave Encounters" is one of those paranormal documentary shows that travels around and films creepy areas attempting to find ghostly activity. The crew goes to film their sixth episode at an abandoned insane asylum where they start out doing all the things you're used to or, if you haven't seen any, that you would expect to see on a show about paranormal investigation: walking around dark corridors, peering into small and empty cells, attempting to contact the spirits, etc. You also get a peek at the behind-cameras action, where the host and his cameramen are revealed to be, at the best, skeptics and, at worst, charlatans (the host hands the groundskeeper $20 to say that he saw a ghost).
However, what makes this movie worth a watch is the fact that the Vicious Brothers (writers and directors) are accomplished enough to take these stereotypes and make them enjoyable again. The characters are well-acted and each has their own particular way of dealing with what is happening to them, a nice touch when so many characters tend to turn into the same screaming mess when something scary happens. I particularly enjoyed Ashleigh Gryzko's acting; she played the only girl on the team and the sounds of her sobs and hitching breaths, right off camera as the group walks down a long, dark hallway, added an extra element to the movie. They also aren't your typical horror movie idiots; they generally (although not always) make fairly good choices in their attempts to escape which makes them far less annoying than the usual character types in these movies. Speaking of annoying, they also spend far less time yelling and arguing than a lot of other groups that show up in these types of movies. There is some, of course, but to not have any would have been completely unrealistic; people's emotions rise in stressful situations and, thus, usually create fights. The pace was well-done; it starts off nice and slow, before quickly moving into desperation but it never feels rushed.
Grave Encounters is creepier than most horror movies are these days, mockumentary or not. There were a couple scenes that actually made me jump and a few that made me a shiver (and I do not scare easily).
That's not to say that it's perfect. The beginning and the ending were particularly disappointing. The movie starts with an intro of the producer of "Grave Encounters" stating that they had found this footage and that it was unedited. Frankly, I don't understand this need to introduce the footage; just start the movie and let it go! It would have added an extra element, I think, to have us guessing whether or not any of the characters would survive. (I mean, they never do in these sorts of horror movies, but it would have been nice to have at least been a little unsure.) The ending also felt a little tacked on; for some reason they felt that they needed to add a specific element to the story in the last three minutes of the movie, an element that was completely unnecessary and felt terribly out of place. However, these two negatives aren't anywhere near enough to ruin a movie that is this well made.
Conclsion: Definitely recommended. Probably one of the best horror movies that I've seen in quite a while.
