Use of Audio
The film has some really nice ominous music playing throughout. It’s got a great sound, and also helps to build up tension or make a scary moment scarier for an audience. I will say, however, that perhaps it shouldn’t continue to play throughout the entire movie – occasionally silence can be even scarier than music, as music sometimes provides a sort of “comfort” of knowing that one is watching a movie. In addition, with such a creepy soundtrack, the filmmaker could also play around with false buildups – making the audience feel as though something is about to happen, but leaving them hanging.
There weren’t very many audio issues in this film; I only noticed the scene in which Katie is walking into school while being taunted by two boys, but her lines of dialogue cannot be heard at all. My guess is that the microphone was just not close enough to pick it up, as she is climbing a set of stairs. It would be advisable to re-loop her audio or, if the director is willing to do a re-shoot he could play around with some interesting high and low camera angles in order to get the microphone closer.
Use of Budget
While normally I encourage a thrifty budget (and am often quite impressed at what filmmakers can accomplish with nothing), on occasion I do have to break this rule. In the case of Wicker, the production could have benefitted greatly from use of an ND filter, some proper lighting, and a better structure. [Note from the Editor: Originally this film was priced at $0 for budget, but that was increased to $50 due to the minimum of costs for food, transportation, and recording media.]
Lasting Appeal
Wicker has great potential. (My husband enjoyed watching it, although I’m perhaps a bit pickier.) It does a good job of creeping out an audience, but those who are looking for a cohesive and purposeful story might come away feeling disappointed. It needs work to fix the visual problems – most importantly the washed-out exterior scenes, as well as a better and more cohesive story line.
Overall Comment
A good thriller is tricky to perfect, but well worth the effort. As evidenced by the popularity of Halloween and the horror movie genre, people love to be scared. Wicker has the potential to be quite creepy, but it needs some more attention to get there.
