I only watched "Patrick" because I admire Charles Dance so much. Dance is his usual competent self--but I can't shake the impression that he just wasn't really engaged with the project. We all have to pay the light bill, I suppose. I just hope he got his money up front and in cash.
I don't know who to blame for the excessive use of traditional scary movie devices: creepy lighting, suspenseful music, heavy breathing, squeaky sound effects, startling surprises abound. These devices are so overused that less than fifteen minutes in, all they generated in me were yawns. Cumulatively, the overuse makes the picture seem amateurish.
I've seen that in general the reviews of "Patrick" have been good. I don't like horror/suspense film and only watched this one because Charles Dance was in it. Consequently, I'm willing to concede that my opinion is of little use to that genre's fans. But to those who might want to see their favorite actors, as I did, my advice is to skip "Patrick."
I don't know who to blame for the excessive use of traditional scary movie devices: creepy lighting, suspenseful music, heavy breathing, squeaky sound effects, startling surprises abound. These devices are so overused that less than fifteen minutes in, all they generated in me were yawns. Cumulatively, the overuse makes the picture seem amateurish.
I've seen that in general the reviews of "Patrick" have been good. I don't like horror/suspense film and only watched this one because Charles Dance was in it. Consequently, I'm willing to concede that my opinion is of little use to that genre's fans. But to those who might want to see their favorite actors, as I did, my advice is to skip "Patrick."