NEW LIFE
Starring: Sonya Walger, Hayley Erin, Tony Amendola, Ayanna Berkshire, Nick George, Blaine Palmer, and Betty Moyer
Director: John Rosman
QUENTIN
Knowing nothing more about New Life than it’s a “horror thriller,” the first 45 minutes of this 83-minute indie left me wondering, “how is this horror?” In the early goings, it’s a fairly standard manhunt movie with few thrills and no attempts at scares. Frankly, I was starting to mentally check out, which is when the horror elements finally kicked in. They are, admittedly, visceral and well done, but it was hard for me to re-engage after my interest had already waned. I’m somewhat curious if it would be better on the rewatch, knowing what I know now, but not curious enough to find out.
KATIE
After being initially intrigued by the premise, I was ultimately disappointed by New Life. It is not so much a “slow burn” as it is boring with odd pacing, and although the sudden switch to horror in the second half has good practical effects and re-engaged my attention, it is quite jarring. I didn’t find the performances convincing, nor did I understand or emotionally resonate with the point it is trying to make, which I assume is something about facing adversity or accepting the inevitable. Overall, the film had a lot of potential that it didn’t deliver on.
PAIGE
Although the first half of New Life plays out like a mysterious manhunt, the movie has an unexpected and surprisingly intriguing twist that switches the tone of the movie from thriller to something entirely different. Even though those modifications make the story slightly more entertaining, they don’t elevate the underwhelming narrative. I had already checked out by the time the twist occurred, and the story just never accumulated enough momentum to satisfy my interest. However, I will admit that its practical effects are pretty terrifying for an indie movie on a shoestring budget.
