Written and directed by Jennifer Van Gessel, when several people inexplicably vanish after wading into a lake, a paranormal investigator and an actor set out to document their search for the truth. Determined to find answers, their investigation leads them to the mysterious lake and brings them face-to-face with an unspeakable evil. Starring: Lauren Grimson, Dean Kyrwood, Jessica Tovey, Socratis Otto, Barbara Bingham, Rob Flanagan and Ben Robinson.
Unexplained disappearances, supernatural forces and a woman on the warpath to discover the truth is always a good foundation for a mystery-thriller. So, at its core Water Horse is on the right path, but along the way it isn’t making the best choices for that mystery to thrive. They key element of that is the plot is too simple. It has the beginnings of something, but we don’t get deep enough into it before the credits roll.
The way that it moves can feel clunky, and while it does create a solid atmosphere with tension and hints of eeriness, similarly to the plot, they never evolve. The tone feels one-noted, the directorial style goes directly into the paranormal investigator YouTube series theme and employs night vision too much. Even when the story does start to develop towards the end, the style doesn’t adapt or intensify, it all feels the same, so it lacks impact.
Part of that is the delivery of the dialogue, the majority of the cast are keeping everything on the same level. There’s no strong emotion, fear or excitement in their cadence, so they’re not giving you any tangible reason to invest in this story. There is a limited attempt to create some form of chemistry or friendship between Lauren Grimson and Dean Kyrwood’s characters, but it never truly develops. You don’t get a definitive sense of what their dynamic is, it’s not romantic and there’s no consistent banter, it’s overly simple. They also both feel a touch creepy, self-involved or untrustworthy which has a lot to do with the lack of development, so it’s hard to get drawn into their adventure.
Water Horse may have been served better with a hint of comedy or parody, or if it had more self-awareness, but trying to deliver it straight, with a lack of detail and personality, means that it struggles. The story is limited, they add in a mystery but don’t unravel it well, and not that much happens. Most of the characters don’t have a lot to offer, particularly a couple of poor detectives who are incredibly heavy-handed. The style and tone are overly consistent, it’s hitting the same notes all throughout which doesn’t give it the space to build anticipation or apprehension. There’s a decent idea at its foundation, but the execution feels muted and underdeveloped.
FilmCarnage.com 