Film Review: THE DOCUMENTARY (2014)

THE DOCUMENTARY * U.S.A. 2014 Dir: Walter Moise. 82 mins

Just in case you haven’t seen enough found-footage stalker movies…here’s another one, following in the footsteps of the effectively creepy RATTER and ALONE WITH HER, alongside innumerable duff variations. Masquerading as a documentarian making a film about fear, the deeply disturbed “D” (Aaron Bowden) selects Sandra (Tristin Rupp) as the subject and begins a series of exploratory sessions. The documentary, however, is a complete ruse that allows D to invade the most private moments of his chosen victims via hidden cameras; when they have outstayed their welcome, he throttles them.
Although the concept is immediately torpedoed by the unlikeliness of any woman with a double-figure I.Q.  falling for such a creepy guy’s obvious scam, this movie also happens to be tedious as well as stupid. Bowden’s psycho, who talks to insects and provides a monotone voiceover for much of the footage, is more pitiful than threatening, and the intrinsically voyeuristic tone of this sub-genre is taken to its zenith with leery, exploitative use of nudity. The conclusion is fashionably and predictably mean spirited, but as amateurish as all that has gone before.

Review by Steven West