[5.25/10] Haunted Changi (2010)

Haunted Changi (2010)

Brief review: "Haunted Changi" is yet another 'found footage' horror flick, this time coming from Singapore, done in the same fashion as "The Blair Witch Project", and although it has quite an intriguing premise, this moc-doc is lacking a bit in execution, and is way less scary and effective than most movies of this genre. While nothing particularly interesting happens in the first half, as it mostly consists of random shots of Changi and fake black and white documentary sequences, the second half and especially the finale are much more tense, thrilling and entertaining to watch. The 'secret tunnel' scene deserves a special mention, as it's utterly claustrophobic and quite chilling. The hand-held camera produces jerky and unsteady images that create a sense of authenticity, but this technique is rather necessary for this type of film, and it could be already considered as clichéd. On a positive note, "Haunted Changi" is quite atmospheric, visually. The grim and filthy setting of the abandoned Changi hospital is creepy as hell, but it barely increases the scare factor of the story. Furthermore, the film offers some passable performances from the cast involved, but none of the characters is particularly memorable or at least likable.

Overall summary: More creepy rather than scary, "Haunted Changi" offers some dark, ominous settings, and a couple of tense moments, but it does pretty much nothing else to distinguish itself from every other POV / Found Footage horror film.