BLOOD WORK: HALLOWEEN HORROR DAYS ~ DAY 11: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR (2016)

Children have a strange power in film. They can appeal to your better nature and melt your heart. They can frustrate and annoy you. When one becomes a parent seeing a child in danger can make your heart race. And then seeing a child as a personification of fear and evil can make one's blood run cold. Such is the versatile power of children. Innocence corrupted is one of the more common and terrifying narratives in horror films, one that can result in some truly traumatic horror films such as THE EXORCIST or THE OMEN.

James Wan, the director behind such frightening films as INSIDIOUS and THE CONJURING, knows the power that children can possess and has utilized them quite effectively in his films. When people tell you your life changes after having a child of your own, they're right. James Wan's films take on a whole new level of terror. After watching the trailer for the horror film THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR I was instantly sold. Then upon hearing it was James Wan's production team behind the film with Alexandre Aja producing (the man who gave us PIRANHA 3D and HORNS) it made this movie a must see.

THE PLOT

If you had lost a child, what would you do to get them back? A couple living in Mumbai, India lost their son in a tragic accident. Maria, the mother, can't take the grief and tries to kill herself. Rushed to the hospital, Maria is saved before any irrevocable damage is done. Their housekeeper, a local woman named Piki, sees how Maria can't move on and so tells Maria of a temple that exists outside the city which borders the realm of the dead. There she can speak to her son from behind the temple doors. But no matter what she must not open the door. Maria goes to the temple and speaks with her deceased son. She is so overwhelmed with emotion that she opens the door... letting something loose.

THE GOOD

Indian Horror Myth. The greatest aspect of this film is the story. It's a completely new and unique concept than anything else I've ever seen or heard of. The temple of the dead, the guardian of the dead, the death worshiping tribesmen, all of it feels fresh and interesting. Maybe if I were Indian these concepts would be familiar but as it is this is new to me. I haven't done any research into the supernatural mythology of India, but that's what's so intriguing about this film.

The Imagery. The film takes place in Mumbai, India so instantly you are placed in an unfamiliar and interesting locale. Then there is the forest of the dead leading up to the temple. Both are evocative sights, like a rotting desert Hell. Then there are the tribesmen who are as unnerving in broad daylight as they are in the shadows of the night. And finally the character of The Myrtu: a gatekeeper of the land of the dead and without a doubt the scariest creature and coolest design in the entire film.

The art direction and set design of this film is superb.

The Mood. Joseph Bishara, the musical maestro responsible for the scores of Insidious and The Conjuring provides the score here. Bishara is one of the best horror score composers working in film today and his score here is bloodcurdling. Director Johannes Roberts takes the time to build the tension letting the scares come naturally. Every detail is accounted for as the supernatural presences converge on the main characters. Not only do you feel isolated as a foreigner in a foreign land, as the movie forges ahead the world itself becomes something stranger as the world of the living is slowly transformed into the world of the dead.

THE BAD

PG-13ish? I've seen PG-13 horror movies executed brilliantly and I've seen horror movies that fell flat because of not being rated R. Here is something else entirely. This movie is rated R but feels like a PG-13. I wouldn't change anything about the suspense building or the scares in this movie. What I see is a missed opportunity to embrace the R rating. The movie builds to an awesome climax but never fully commits to the spectacle. If I were to change anything about the film I'd up the gore and gruesome death scenes at the climax. Otherwise what this film does it does well.

THE VERDICT

The Other Side of The Door is a unique twist on the rules and myths surrounding the afterlife. Director Johannes Roberts and his crew create a totally immersive world with frightening and intriguing visuals building up to nightmarish scares. For those bored of the standard American ghost stories and tales of possession this film injects new blood and new fear into the classic ghost story.

Overall Ranking: 6 out of 10

Nude-O-Meter: 1 out of 10