Blaironit
Excellent film with a gripping story!
Doomtomylo
a film so unique, intoxicating and bizarre that it not only demands another viewing, but is also forgivable as a satirical comedy where the jokes eventually take the back seat.
Jerrie
It's a good bad... and worth a popcorn matinée. While it's easy to lament what could have been...
avelinov
First off let me say I'm a fan of the found horror footage genre. Having watched not only the popular ones such as Blair Witch, Grave Encounters, REC, etc. I also really enjoyed watching the less well known Haunted Poland, Severed Footage, Exhibit A, etc.Often I find the ratings of found footage films rather low as they are not to everyone's taste. However, with UPPER I couldn't understand what all the hype is about. At best I give it a 4/10 as I am a fan of the genre.This film distinguishes itself from other such movies by its astoundingly shaky and out of focus camera. For instance, in the last third of the film, when they are driving towards Greenwitch, there are about 5 min of unfocused black screen with only shouting in the background. I was about to brush this off as an irritating feature due to the lack of night vision of the camera - when suddenly it is revealed that the camera does have proper night vision.As for the plot, there isn't much. Basically it's obvious that something will go wrong. There was quite some tension among the "friends" to begin with that I was't surprised (contrary to some) that there would be a whole lot of arguing when something does hit the fan.To be fair found footage films aren't famous for their plots, however the tension in them towards the end is always palpable. UPPER on the other hand left me rather board all the way through. I honestly can't find any comparison with for instance the Blair Witch Project, which towards the end got me very freaked out. UPPER is in the drama genre and weak at best.My advice, watch this if you are a fan of found footage films, otherwise skip. Definitely not worth a second look.
Guillermo Bosque
Summary: The Upper Footage is extremely boring at times, but its impressive final act compensates for it flaws. 60/100 (C+)If you are not a fan of the found-footage sub-genre, you will be disappointed with this flick. The Upper Footage is strictly for hardcore found-footage movie fans. It was quite boring and requires lots of patience. It relies on realism and it did a good job because everything looked very real, even though it was obviously fake. The dialog was repetitive at times, also the profanity was constant and annoying at a certain point. But the film boasts enough intense moments and drama to mildly succeed, most of it was in its third act. I watched the first half of the movie with my sister, she was bored, extremely bored. I was a bit disappointed with the first half of the film because nothing happens. However, the second half is impressive and the tension begins, although it is still somewhat slow.The first half was a total bore, the second half was a little bit more entertaining but quite slow too. Another problem is that the characters were not interesting enough to keep us entertained. There was not enough entertainment here, 60% of the film is people saying the F word like a thousand times... literally. I was like "meh" during the first 40 minutes, and some other parts in the second half. The entire movie was filled with people arguing about things that I did not care. It was just dull, but then I was shocked. The last 20-30 minutes were very impressive, the final act was very similar to The Blair Witch Project. It was shocking to me because I am a huge fan of that movie and this film was very close to it, in terms of realism.Surprisingly, most of the characters in the final act became kind of likable, especially that blonde girl and the dude that was recording, they were quite smart and believable, the other guys were good too. I also loved a line near the end of the movie from the blonde girl: "I can smell her". If you have seen the movie you know what I mean. The payoff was good enough to me. There was a scene involving a chilling scream near the very end, it was pretty neat, well-done and brilliantly directed. In conclusion, the last act was a decent payoff. While most of the film is a total bore, the final act was impressive, refreshing and looked very realistic. Director Justin Cole has a new fan, I am looking forward to his new projects. (C+)
Aaron Bartuska
By far the worst movie of 2014, and one of the worst movies I've ever seen in all of my years of cinema going. I found out about this little flick because the official Twitter account followed me (you know a movie is gonna be great if it makes an direct attempt to get you to watch it). I followed back, thinking "hey, why not, I'll support a little indie film." As I read more and more into it, I became incredibly interested. The reviews were raving, comparing it to some of the best found footage movies. Every fan-based review of it was also very positive, leading me to believe that it must be pretty good if EVERYONE is talking about it. So, I got pretty pumped. The idea of this being the "first film experience of its kind" compiled of supposedly real footage of a young woman's death was intriguing to me. I guess I'm sick and twisted, but I was sold. Well, I just watched what is being called one of the most important films of our generation. This brings me back to a little flick called 'Megan is Missing.' Marketed towards scared parents and teens, this film aimed to scare people out of talking to strangers on the internet. All it made me do was laugh. It was my second least favorite movie up until that point. Now it's my third. To be completed honest, Megan is Missing is a masterpiece compared to this and I would watch it any day because it is entertaining. All 'The Upper Footage' is is a bunch of pretentious young upper class city kids snorting coke and saying some of the most racist, homophobic and sexist things you can imagine. Oh, but it's alright, because it's a MOVIE and we're not SUPPOSED to like these characters! Well, you can't market your movie as a real thing and then use the excuse that it's just a film to say whatever the hell you feel like. And if the characters are unlikeable from the start, NOTHING IN THE MOVIE MATTERS. I had no sympathy for a single character throughout this whole movie. I did not care one bit what happened to anyone. So, the "plot" is that a girl named Jackie parties with a bunch of idiots and dies, so they have to hide the body. It is a lovely adventure full of domestic violence, f-bombs in every sentence, out of place fast food stops, and... that's about it, because literally NOTHING happens in this entire movie. There is a four minute long shot of hair. Only hair. There's is a whiny blonde spitting out phrases like "I wanna go home" and "I don't wanna be here" in the most annoying high pitch voice you can imagine for the entire last half of the film. If this sounds good to you, by God you are going to love the hell out of this film. Needless to say, I have unfollowed the Twitter account. The Upper Footage is probably the most unpleasant film I have ever had the displeasure of sitting through and I would recommend it to absolutely no one. It actually pains me to see this getting praise. If this is considered a good film, there is a part of me that almost wants to stop being a film critic.
ms-omen73
The Upper Footage is a movie that blurs reality and fiction.It reminds us the monsters are not always scary men lurking in dark shadows, nor are they the creatures of childhood nightmares, more likely they are the people we may think we aspire to, who maybe we all could too easily become. It is a riveting story of an all too familiar reality, that is so believable director Justin Cole was able to use the real media to help further blur the lines we cling to in order to feel safe as we sit back and get our fill of our favorite genre. The film is billed as being an edited 90 minute version of 393 minutes of found footage covering the events of one night in the lives of a group of affluent young socialites. It is a story of privilege, money and affluence gone horribly wrong. We watch as this group shows their colors in overindulgent petty behaviors that eventually lead to an accidental death and that's where things get really interesting. So many things about The Upper Footage are done incredibly right. Justin Cole starts with a story that we have all heard, and gives us an all access pass to the entire event. That in itself wouldn't mean much if the acting was flat, or if the dialogue felt scripted. Somehow, everyone comes together to make this feel very organic, lending incredible believability to the film. The marketing is another point that needs to be mentioned as Justin Cole effectively used our ceaseless desire for dirty news via tabloid TV, getting shows like Entertainment Tonight to bite on the "leaked footage" resulting in a blurring of the lines between art and reality. He further plays into that gray area, by not naming any of the actors involved in the film and has even pixilated his own image on the net, giving a true air of mystery to the entire production, and leading you questioning what you just watched. I found that all of this played together beautifully well. I was beyond impressed with The Upper Footage and would highly recommend you take the time to check this film out. The film shows how effective the found footage genre can be. It pushes boundaries, and our sensibilities by taking it to the ugly but real conclusion. The film literally left me shaking with anxiety for a minute at the end, a reaction I can honestly say I have never before had from anything I've watched, and believe me I've watched a lot! I am already looking forward to what Mr. Justin Cole has in store for us next! *HeatherOmen* TheHorrorNation.net
