Entrance

Entrance, a 2012 indie film, tells a psychological horror story grounded in ordinary life. Dallas Hallam and Patrick Horvath co-direct and co-write the movie which, on the surface, seems to revolve around commonplace city life scenarios, but in essence charts a sinister path to the heart of darkness that lies beneath the innocuous mundanity of daily existence. The film stars Suziey Block, Karen Baird, and Farley Burge, and introduces a new dimension to suspenseful storytelling.

The movie unfolds in Los Angeles, a fascinating city whose high-paced urban lifestyle forms a vital backdrop to the suspense that characterizes Entrance. Suziey Block plays the central character, also named Suziey, a barista who navigates through the city's mundane life while dealing with the unfamiliarity and challenge that comes with urban living. She delivers an impressively authentic performance, capturing both the charm and the challenge of modern city life, skillfully balancing between disinterested stoicism and an underlying sense of dread.

Kudos to her, Suziey is charismatic in her vulnerability, making the audience instantly empathize with her struggles. The filmmakers capture her loneliness, alienation, and even low-grade paranoia effectively, adding an unsettling vibe to the film's atmosphere that enhances the impending dread.

Karen Baird, too, delivers a captivating performance, and along with Farley Burge, she adds to the texture of the film. Both Karen and Farley have a dynamic synergy with Suziey that vibrant and authentic. While most of the conversations are everyday chats, they serve a larger role in adding layers to each character's persona and deepening the overall storyline.

Shot almost entirely with a hand-held camera, Entrance invests a significant part of its screen-time in character development and conveying the city's vibe. The brilliance of the film lies in its ability to tinge the ordinary with an eerie flavor through its beautiful cinematography and atmospheric soundtrack. Despite having a low-budget production, its incredible script, and the phenomenal performances given by the cast make this film a gem in the genre of slow-burn thrillers.

In terms of genre, Entrance amalgamates the qualities of realist drama with psychological horror. Initial sequences of the film mirror the slice-of-life attractions of independent cinema. The directors have smoothly painted a picture of Suziey's ordinary life including trivial activities like walking her dog, hanging out with friends etc. However, gradually, Suziey’s life starts to become unstrung by small mysterious events that seem everyday yet unsettling.

The film takes on an investigative style, delving into Suziey's fears and anxieties that steadily build up a sense of suspense. This suspense is brilliantly intertwined with Suziey's mundane life, making the audience question every detail and view each ordinary occurrence with a sense of unease.

The horror aspect of Entrance is delivered subtly. Instead of using cheap jump scares and overtly explicit scenes of horror, the movie focuses on building a slow, creeping sense of dread. The distinct lack of blood and gore may leave hardcore horror fans wanting, but those who appreciate psychological thrillers will savour the disturbing atmosphere the movie successfully creates.

Entrance is not your typical horror movie. It’s a slow-burning thriller - one that captures dread and fear without resorting to the worn-out tropes of mainstream horror cinema. It offers refreshing material to the genre, exhibiting a slice-of-life narrative, with a tension-filled build-up that swells to a terrifying climax. The directors take their time to build up to the climax, and when the culmination does arrive, it leaves viewers in stunned silence, both terrorized and intrigued.

In conclusion, the unparalleled narrative style, stellar performances, and confident filmmaking that blend an indie vibe with horror make Entrance a compelling watch. It demonstrates that creatively made films can achieve suspense and terror without resorting to cheap gimmicks or squandering massive budgets. This film is a must-watch for those seeking to explore the realms of psychological dread, expertly wrapped in the cloak of an everyday city life drama.