My Review Of “SX_Tape”

Bernard Rose’s “SX_Tape” is a paranormal, found footage film starring Caitlyn Folley, Julie Marcus, Ian Duncan, Daniel Faraldo, Diana García and Eric Neil Gutierrez. The story focuses on Adam and Jill, a young couple in the throws of a spicy, sexual relationship as it unfolds on camera. The course of the day, kinky sexcapades and subsequent horrors take shape in a blend of psychological thrills and nightmarish chills.

The story of “SX_Tape” isn’t anything new or overtly original but it is well thought out and executed nicely. In an attempt to blend the sex tape phenom into the horror story, Eric Reese develops a pretty convincing concept with some actual eerie moments. There is one aspect that fails in “SX_Tape” that is an Achilles’ heel in many of the found footage stories, the plausibility that a person will continue to maintain control over a camera or keep a strong composure in the face of such a horrific, life altering moment such as unfolds in this film. It is debatable and doesn’t really kill a story, but when it becomes a question mark for a good third of the story, it slows down the chilling nature of a major component in the film’s main gimmick. However “SX_Tape” still manages to fully present a thrilling concept with a edgy, darkness that is entertaining.

The acting in this film is believable, with most of the character driven drama hanging on one person, Jill, played by Caitlyn Folley. Her ability to emote on camera the elements of both happiness and terror is both chilling and captivating. In the beginning I felt she was more mentally challenged than I am sure she meant to portray in this free spirit, whimsical character but as the movie went on I found her really more convincing. Over all the film’s intended vision stays present and creates a chilling nightmare. “Sex_Tape” holds it’s own in the found footage, paranormal genre without being too cerebral or too mundane.  The film offers a pleasant medium of drama, thrills and suspense.

“SX_Tape” offers up a nice blend of effects both in soundtrack and effects. The horror elements are at a minimum as far as the visceral components but with the creepy sound effects, sudden shock moments and constant pace toward the inevitable “SX_Tape” gives the thrills in expected places and some not so expected places. I jumped and cringed several times in the course of watching this film. Bernard Rose gives good chills, and is worth checking out by any fan of paranormal horror, especially for the fan of this ever-growing subgenre we call found footage.