There are a lot of independent films out there that don’t get a chance. A lot of dedicated people work super freaking hard on them, and they fall off into obscurity. I hate to see that happen, as sometimes you might miss out on a good flick. Inspiration is one such flick. Director Jason Armstrong offered me the chance to review the flick, and I am glad I said yes. The film is not perfect (what film is?) and some of the actors miss the mark, but there is enough meat on the bones to keep any viewer interested. If you are inclined to know more, just read on…
Movie Review
Author Sam’s (the strikingly beautiful Emily Alatalo) life is all over the place. After a successful first stab at a horror novel, her career has taken a detour into subpar romance novels. Hoping to get back into the game, Sam gets the chance to write a sequel to her original horror novel, with attached movie rights. Things are starting to look up for Sam; that is until another bump in the road rears its ugly head, and she must go it alone.
What better way to be alone and write your new book than by heading to the hometown that inspired your original novel. Sam rents a lovely house and buckles down and starts writing. Everything is flying along smoothly; that is until an accident forces Sam to make some tough, albeit incredibly stupid choices. From this deadly accident on, Sam’s psyche starts to crack, and she starts seeing people killed around her. Is it real or fake? Has her killer novel come to life? I will never tell!
Inspiration does fall into a few of the cliche trappings of low-budget filming (the film was made for under $100K). Some of the writing is a bit stiff and the actors stumble on delivering solid performances. The story also becomes muddled at times, especially near the end, leaving the viewer with a few unanswered questions. However, you can forgive stuff like this, as the overall experience with Inspiration hits enough of the right notes for those fans that enjoy low budget psychological horror that avoids the artsy-fartsy bullshit of most independent films.
Verdict
Inspiration is low budget filming done by a bunch of hard working people. The story isn’t perfect, but if you can look past that and give the movie a chance, I think you’ll find something you’ll like. Hell, you might even find something inspirational. (Sorry, I had to throw that pun in somewhere.)