Crypsis

Written and Directed by Paul Anthony Rogers

Starring: Paul Anthony Rogers, Michael Armata, Anthony Hoang, Jordan Mitchell-Love and Eddie Nason

On Demand and DVD, December 17, from Uncork’d Entertainment.

Synopsis:

A group of friends make a bet to survive on an island. Unbeknownst to them, a mysterious old creature begins hunting them throughout the night. What began as an innocent bet quickly turns into a fight for survival. As night falls, this becomes a fight to the death that no one had anticipated.

Well, on this one, the synopsis pretty much sums it up. A group of friends takes a bet, splits into competing teams, and mayhem ensues. And, of course, both teams have video cameras in order to document that they do, indeed, spend the entire night on the island.

Otherwise, the bet is useless.

Did I mention there’s a monster on the island? No? Sorry, I thought that was a given.

My mistake.

Here’s the problem with Crypsis: despite the attempt to explain exactly why the events of the movie occur, the pseudo-documentary attempt at telling the story through the footage the unwitting “bro patrol” captures, it’s really only used for half of the film’s already short run-time.

If that.

I think I’ve made my thoughts clear on the whole “found footage” conceit in the past, but if not, let me restate it for you now: commit to it, 100%, or don’t use it at all. It’s just that simple. If you commit to it, make sure the methodology of the capture is logical and consistent. If it’s not, the audience will know, and then you’ve lost them.

If you’re not going to commit, don’t use it at all. If there is supposed to be footage captured, it’s only useful if it is used by the other members of the cast. If you’re not even going to do that…

But the idea of presenting a patchwork film using conventional cinematography alongside “found footage” is shoddy work, because more often than not, the FF isn’t used for any purpose other than to show the audience, which renders it simply a poorly recorded version of events. Why not simply shoot the movie conventionally, then?

As a very wise 900-year-old Jedi Master once said: “Do. Or do not. There is no try.”

A more effective use of the FF format is a film I reviewed a few months ago: Scooter.

Whatever that film’s shortcomings might be, it chose a method and ran with it.

In the end, what few positives Crypsis has going for it (including a believable mythology for the island and its inhabitants), are more than squandered with its poor script and the execution thereof.

My rating: 2/10