American Terror Story
by Terry Spears
One fact of the world that no one in history has ever disagreed on is that ghosts are awesome and we all love them. Even ghosts love ghosts. If a ghost were ever haunted by another ghost, they would both be psyched because ghosts are both awesome and spooky; they are a horror film favorite. There are all sorts of scenarios and ways that our spirit friends are utilized on film, from possessions to full-blown attacks. It had been a while since I watched an entity-based flick so when I stumbled across a little film called American Terror Story I decided to give it a watch.
American Terror Story begins years ago and smack-dab in an unfortunate situation. A very brief intro shows a young Asian woman being taken to a building, greeted by those looking to make some money off her in the way of prostitution. There isn't much exposition at this time. Just a quick glimpse into a circumstance in which the major takeaway is that the young woman is scared and not in control of whatever is to happen to her.
From there, we are introduced to a present setting and a group of college students. A few know each other already whereas some are just becoming friends, especially two women who have recently decided to become study buddies. The more social of the two decides to invite the other, more study-oriented student to a party at a friend's uncle's house. Things start off normal at first, however, after finding some sinister symbols in the basement, things take a dangerous turn.
To put it simply, the woman from the beginning is now a ghost and begins driving the characters to committing suicide. Not trying to be blunt with the way I bring that point up, but that's exactly the style the film takes on. Things start happening pretty quickly and the characters just kind of accept it right away. I'm not necessarily saying this as a criticism, I will, however, say it can be a little jarring and thin at times. At one point, fairly early on, a character just accepts his fate while another becomes hellbent to find a way to stop it. This all makes sense, but there should be a little more emotional work to get there. These reactions happen quickly after the suicides start and it's a little weird how on-board with the supernatural they are almost immediately. The elements are all there, it's just the pacing and way it all plays out that can be a little strange.
The way the story is arranged adds a nice touch of fluidity that keeps the film moving, as the viewer learns more and more about the past events that lead to the present ones. However, I can't help but wish it were a little different overall. Personally, I think having the party aspect last longer and having that be the focus of the plot in general would be a better move. I believe having a group of young friends/acquaintances dealing with the situation as it slowly progresses from the stable scenario of the house and gathering would have made for a cleaner experience, but everything dissolves pretty quickly. Multiple characters that could have been fleshed out more are used for quick deaths and essentially leads to a lasting few running around trying to deal with it all. It doesn't help that the ghost angle never really comes full circle in a satisfying way and seems to be unevenly handled.
Overall, American Terror Story is a mixed bag of good and bad. There are some fun moments, eye-pleasing blood effects, and a neat setup. It could have used a little more work, however. A low budget shouldn't impede a good script and this one just needed more drafts to balance itself out a little. The acting varies from person to person and the running time bounces back between original and well-tread territory, but in a way this all adds to whatever charm the film may have. Ultimately, I don't have an especially strong reaction either way. It could have been better, it could have been worse. Do with that what you will.
P.J. Griffin, HMS