Real life couple Vincent Rivera and Marcella Rodriguez (he irritating, she distractingly buxom) buy a villa suspiciously cheap online and film their new life on what appears to be videotape (complete with old-school video noise and audio drop outs) even though it’s 2015. They have the kind of neighbours who don’t think it’s weird that Rivera is filming their friendly chit-chat, and Basil Exposition stops by to tell them all about the house’s Bad History, complete with the obligatory family massacre committed by a previous owner.
An unimaginative PARANORMAL ACTIVITY cash-in, this awkwardly reflects the growing redundance of the found footage sub-genre with self-conscious dialogue: “Just think we’re stars…it’ll be like one of those found footage movies!” As usual, the justification for continued filming in the least likely of situations gets some laughs: “Camera cost me a lot of money – I need to make the most of it!” Familiar developments include the installation of security cameras to offer alternate angles, the ill-advised usage of a Ouija board and PA-style nocturnal shots of the sleeping couple watched over by a malevolent clown character. Eventually, Rivera has a breakdown akin to James Brolin in THE AMITYVILLE HORROR, but you’ll (arguably) be too compelled to wonder how Rodriguez’s monumental breasts succeeded in staying covered within gravity-defying lingerie. Isolated creepy frissons and the statuesque heroine keep it watchable.

Review by Steven West