Resolution is the kind of horror film that makes you think. It doesn’t let you sit back and soak in the gore and blood, instead it makes your head hurt and leaves you confused. The story begins when Michael Danube (Peter Cilello) receives a bizarre email depicting his long time friend, Chris Daniels (Vinny Curran), freaking out on drugs. Michael has attempted to help Chris in the past, but to no avail. This time, he finds Chris and handcuffs him to a pipe in order to perform a harsh detox program on his friend. Everything is going fine until puzzling videos, photos, and emails are shown to the duo. What makes this movie even more complex is the relationship between the actors and the viewers. Many times, the fourth wall is broken, but in such a nuanced way that the casual viewer may not even notice.
We begin to put the pieces together once we learn that the two stars are on Indian land, which always results in supernatural villainy. There is a back-story about archaeology, cave paintings, and curses, but none of it is fully explored. Ultimately, we as the viewers are as confused as the two main characters are which makes the film frustrating at times.
When watching a complicated movie, we put our faith in the director for a resolution (pun intended) that is quick hitting and pulls all the strings together. This film leaves you with more questions than answers. There isn’t necessarily anything wrong with this, but when the plot is too intellectual for all the actors in the film and the viewers, it makes you wonder whether or not it was enjoyable to watch. The ending ultimately tells us that there is a significant link between the viewer and the two stars. Again the fourth wall is broken, but just like many other times in the film, it feels too highbrow.
Resolution deserves credit for creating an intelligent script that questions horror conventions and the impact that we, as viewers, have on the development of a story. When viewing the script alone, it can be frustrating, but you still have to respect it. What I completely disliked about the film was the acting. When Chris is going through his detox program, he makes it look like a walk in the park. If a character is going to be so extreme that he ties his friend up to help him, then I at least want to see why it was necessary to tie him up. Furthermore, Michael is completely oblivious to the seriousness of the situations he stumbles upon. When it is clear that they are being watched, in real time, he doesn’t even appear scared or frightened. If the main character isn’t afraid of the situation he is in, then why should I be?
Horror fans that enjoy thinking outside of the box should be intrigued by this film, but may be disappointed by the movie's failure to capitalize on all the great talking points. What it creates in rich themes, it breaks down in bad acting and over-complication. Movies should question how we view the world, but it shouldn’t question whether or not the film was worth watching.
If you liked Resolution, you might also like The Cabin in the Woods.