2022 SCREAMFEST REVIEW!
On a remote camping trip, things quickly turn wild. When one of the campers returns to the campfire, she realizes that she is already there. Soon a monster appears, and the reality that each of these friends have been facing is no more. CIMIM sees the friends struggling with the monster that now hunts them–and it may just be the end of their days.
CIMIM is incredibly quick, with not much time at all to develop. As it races through the story, weaving a web of strangities, it manages to build suspense just as quickly. As the friends sit around a fire, exchanging stories, the darkness that lurks behind them plays a pivotal role in how viewers receive the film–and it feels like it slowly creeps up on viewers as the film progresses. While the entirety of the film moves along at a fast pace, the darkness is the one aspect that manages to move slowly, engulfing the characters. It’s that darkness that allows the film to succeed, as a juxtaposition of light plays a role in competing with said darkness, and it brings CIMIM to life in incredible ways.
I’m confused by the acting–by just about everyone. It appears that early in CIMIM Writer-Director Cody Mobley wants to establish that there are two couples present around the campfire–but as the veritable shit hits the fan their emotional responses aren’t what you’d expect them to be. The reaction was almost nothing in certain situations, like nothing incredible had just transpired right in front of them. In these moments, the terror that had slowly crept in disipates, and the emotional toll that it should have taken on viewers disappeared with it. What could have been a massive payoff for CIMIM never amounts to anything, slipping through the grasp of Mobley and his cohorts. I can’t figure out why it played out in this fashion. I’m not sure if they were written this way, as to be in a state of shock, or if the actors were simply incapable of expressing emotion the way in which they needed–but, regardless, it just didn’t work.
The film’s concept is beautiful. The monster, whether you see it or not in any film, plays such an important role in creating a dark, menacing tone. Here, in CIMIM, the monster never truly shows itself, and that mystery weighs heavily on viewers. While the acting failed to provide emotion in the way that I wish it had, keeping the appearance of the film’s antagonist hidden played well into the horror aspect of Mobley’s film. This worked! This is exactly what needed to be done in order to instill fear in viewers, and Mobley pulls it off.
I sort of enjoy how quick CIMIM plays out. Viewers don’t have too much time to think, they are simply along for the ride, and as the darkness begins to envelop the characters, viewers are consumed as well. Bing, bang, boom! CIMIM wastes no time at all, and I believe the film is better off as a result.
There really is a lot to love about CIMIM, and I think that Mobley has a firm grasp on how to create and sustain horror throughout a film. This is why I tend to believe that it was the acting that didn’t work well–and that it wasn’t something on the writing/directing side of the film that failed. Fear brews early, and it remains prevalent throughout–keeping viewers engaged, enticing them, and making them part of the journey.
Written & Directed by Cody Mobley.
Starring Laura Jenkins, Mike Duff, Darian Michael Garey, Daniel Kohl, & Heather Ludwig.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/10
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