The Forest

While director Jason Zada's first feature film stayed away from being a carbon copy of standard J-horror fare, it lacked the complexity and substance to hold a seasoned horror fan's attention.

It's the kind of screenplay where a twist happens with no real set-up, mainly because it is the only way the writers can figure out how to get to the forced ending they want.

It has ghosts, it has atmosphere, it's well-acted and scary. Yes, it tries too hard in some respects, but it's a respectable effort, and it works well enough to be worth watching.

Some bright spots do redeem The Forest's presentation. Otherwise, Zada's thin and jittery payoff is nothing more than a toothless trek through the pseudo petrified Forest.

The film simply failed to create a complete mythology in their plot based on the real life myths. The result felt like pieces of several different stories chopped up and thrown together in a way that lacked substance and scares.