My quick rating – 3.3/10. Let me start with a disclaimer: I’m not the target audience for found-footage films. Never have been. I like my horror with a pulse, a point, and, depending upon the story, a budget. That said, I went into Distort with an open-ish mind… and came out 76 minutes later with a new fear: barking dogs.
The plot, if you can call it that, follows James (James Devlin), a guy who retreats into the woods to record his new album. Because, you know, who doesn’t head into the middle of nowhere with a mic and a dream? Sadly, he spends less time making music and more time discovering spooky cassette tapes left like haunted breadcrumbs. These tapes belong to a woman from the ‘90s (the golden age of poor decisions), who was researching an urban legend called “The Weeping Man.”
And what horrors await? A creepy old dude sobbing next to a tree (+0.5 for the crying tree guy. That dude committed.) a rabid-sounding dog, and plenty of unlit, unwatchable scenes that give your imagination a real workout. If your favorite part of horror is hearing your neighbor’s golden retriever bark at the mailman, Distort is pure nightmare fuel. If not, you’re going to have a ruff time. (Yes, I went there.)
In a genre where The Blair Witch Project already did everything right 25 years ago, Distort bravely says, “What if we did everything… less right?” The characters exhibit that classic horror logic, like, “Something’s trying to kill me… but I did set the tent up, so let’s ride it out.” James could leave at any time. He doesn’t. Maybe he’s contractually obligated to die in the woods.
Credit where it’s due, though: writer/director Richard Waters does try to put a little spin on the found footage formula. And by “little,” I mean blink and you’ll miss it. But hey, he named his character Richard and cast himself in the role—bold move. A real auteur touch.
To sum it up: Distort is like if The Blair Witch Project and a YouTube vlog had a baby, then forgot to feed it plot or light. It tries, it whimpers, and then it barks… a lot. Watch only if you’re bored, love dogs, or really need white noise to fall asleep.
Amazon has this one along with some streamer I have never heard of carrying this for free.