Towards the end of Pulse, a US remake of the hit Asian horror Kairo, there was a moment which actually made me jump. It was a cheap mechanical scare that was totally predictable, but it still managed to jolt me. And I was grateful that it did, because it stopped me from lapsing fully into a coma.
After the dreadful American remakes of other J-horror hits such as The Ring, The Grudge and Dark Water, all of which did their best to cause my brain to shut down entirely, I did wonder about the wisdom of watching yet another. But I'm a fair man, and I like to give films the benefit of the doubt, so in went the disc...
Sporting a grungy, desaturated look, and nasty MTV style editing, Pulse is typical of the unimaginative and stale horror output that has blighted the genre this decade. The film, aimed at the teen demographic, does away with logic, suspense and a decent plot; instead, we get an easy-on-the-eye cast, some cool CGI effects, and a story that makes no sense whatsoever.
In this confusing tale, a hacker accidentally allows strange creatures from another dimension to come into our world, using communication devices as conduits. Once in our world, these things suck out our will to live, which results in people either disintegrating into ash, or committing suicide (and by the end of the film, you'll know exactly how they feel!). As these monsters slowly take over any part of the world in which technology allows them access, a couple of teens discover the existence of a computer virus which may be able to put an end to the evil invaders, but with red tape as their only protection (don't ask!), will they succeed?
Dreary cinematography, coupled with a dull-as-ditchwater script and uninspired performances from a bored looking cast, make Pulse an experience that I am not in a hurry to repeat. Director Jim Sonzero manages one or two visually impressive moments (involving the bizarre other-worldly freaks, which look like they're straight out of a Chris Cunningham video), but for the most part, he seems content to translate the illogical, badly written and plot-hole ridden screenplay into uninspired visual tripe, without giving a moment's thought to the fact that nothing makes much sense.
After the dreadful American remakes of other J-horror hits such as The Ring, The Grudge and Dark Water, all of which did their best to cause my brain to shut down entirely, I did wonder about the wisdom of watching yet another. But I'm a fair man, and I like to give films the benefit of the doubt, so in went the disc...
Sporting a grungy, desaturated look, and nasty MTV style editing, Pulse is typical of the unimaginative and stale horror output that has blighted the genre this decade. The film, aimed at the teen demographic, does away with logic, suspense and a decent plot; instead, we get an easy-on-the-eye cast, some cool CGI effects, and a story that makes no sense whatsoever.
In this confusing tale, a hacker accidentally allows strange creatures from another dimension to come into our world, using communication devices as conduits. Once in our world, these things suck out our will to live, which results in people either disintegrating into ash, or committing suicide (and by the end of the film, you'll know exactly how they feel!). As these monsters slowly take over any part of the world in which technology allows them access, a couple of teens discover the existence of a computer virus which may be able to put an end to the evil invaders, but with red tape as their only protection (don't ask!), will they succeed?
Dreary cinematography, coupled with a dull-as-ditchwater script and uninspired performances from a bored looking cast, make Pulse an experience that I am not in a hurry to repeat. Director Jim Sonzero manages one or two visually impressive moments (involving the bizarre other-worldly freaks, which look like they're straight out of a Chris Cunningham video), but for the most part, he seems content to translate the illogical, badly written and plot-hole ridden screenplay into uninspired visual tripe, without giving a moment's thought to the fact that nothing makes much sense.