bradinhanson
For me this movie was gripping and well executed and told. With what they had to work with a 10 is well deserved. I've lately seen movies with A-List actors that are unbearable and cringeworthy. I understand those who are biased give these movies a 10. But I'm gonna do me and bring back traditions that I first fell in love with.
Jeff2sayshi
Phoenix Forgotten portrays itself as a movie about the sister of a teen who went missing after the phoenix lights incident in 1997. If you're not familiar with the phoenix lights, a bunch of strange lights appeared over Phoenix, then disappeared and was then never explained.Sophie Bishop, 20 years after her brother went missing, decides to shoot a documentary about what happened, and try and discover the truth. That sums up the first 2/3 of the movie and involves interviews with her family, plus footage shot by Josh (who was, of course, a camera geek and budding movie director). Caught halfway between this fake documentary and found footage movie, Phoenix Forgotten never really gets off the ground. There is some groundwork laid for the final act of the movie, but mostly the first couple acts are forgettable.The third act is where the movie really takes off, as the director fully embraces the found footage genre, and succeeds. The camera actually makes sense that it would be filmed, and the actions seem very believable. The main problem with the end of the movie is how the movie just ends. Don't expect any explanation of what was just witnessed or what it means. Is it human, alien, or other? That's up for the interpretation of the viewer and leaves the film weaker off.The other issue with the ending of the movie is it totally drops Sophie's documentary. While this works better for the pacing of the movie being watched, it's odd that a thread played out for so long is just dropped.In the end, viewers who enjoy the found footage genre should find something enjoyable here. But the dropped threads, questionable first hour, and ambiguous ending hurt the film.
barbagvido
Phoenix Forgotten is a found footage horror movie that has two time-lines. One is set in 1997 and it follows 3 teenagers who try to find the proof of the UFOs that might have shown up above Phoenix. The other one is set in 2017 and it follows a younger sister of one of the leads in the 90s part who tries to investigate her brother's disappearance by finding more footage that disappeared along with her brother and his friends.The 90s part is VERY similar to The Blair Witch Project and I couldn't really tell if it was a homage or a rip- off. But still, it kinda worked and actually had some creepy and unsettling moments. Even though it was really predictable. The 2017 part is very unnecessary. We could have simply been treated with a lot longer version of the 90s part, or simply have something actually happen in the today segment. Imagine if The Blair Witch Project and Blair Witch were one movie with 90s and today's segment being played little by little. And The Blair Witch Project part is a lot shorter, while Blair Witch part is a movie with no pay-off at all. That's why the whole experience was a bit unfulfilled.But aside from a poorly constructed and clichéd plot, the movie does have a few redeeming creepy moments. First there's the premise itself (there is just something about the aliens and the unfamiliar in general that gets under your skin), and some genuinely creepy moments with tiny, but spooky nods to the UFOs. And also, the ambiguity was well-handled. Sometimes movies try way too hard to be ambiguous that it just comes across as unsatisfying and poorly written, but this was ambiguity done right. Ambiguity that made it scarier.Still, it's not what it could have been. It does offer a few shivers, but aside from that misses the mark.
