Review of The Pact (2010) by Michael A — 01 Jul 2017

The Pact, written and directed by Nicholas McCarthy, is a fast-paced thriller that is as much a mystery film as it is horror film. In the beginning of the film, we learn that Annie and Nichole Barlow's mom has recently passed away. Upon returning to their mother's house after her death, Nichole Barlow (Agnes Bruckner) disappears. Annie Barlow (Caity Lotz) is notified by their cousin, Liz (Kathleen Rose Perkins) that she hasn't heard from Nichole in three days. Therefore, Annie comes to the mother's house to try and find out what happened to Nichole. At first, she thinks Nichole ran away. However, as mysterious supernatural things start to occur, Annie realizes there is more to Nichole's disappearance than her simply hitting the road and running away.

Nicholas McCarthy's screenwriting was well done. The plot is rich, with enough action to keep the audience fully entertained throughout the duration of the movie. I tend to think of the plot of this film as a jigsaw puzzle. At the beginning, we know Nichole has disappeared and we know that strange things are happening, but we don't know why. Throughout the film, clue after clue after clue fit nicely together one after the other into the overall puzzle which is the resolution to our story. The plot twist at the end is one that likely no one will see coming. However, as clues piece together throughout the film, the audience will quickly understand how everything is connected and how the twist makes perfect sense and explains everything that has happened in this film up to the ending. Although there are several jump scares, this movie is good not because of its horror but more because of its sense of mystery.

The acting was well-done by all characters in the film. Caity Lotz put on a wonderful performance as Annie Barlow and her character development throughout the movie will make audiences sympathize with her and become attached to her. In the beginning of the film, we learn that in the past, Annie hasn't made the best decisions and has run away from her family. However, now, she becomes fully entwined in trying to find out what happened to her sister. We realize that she is not a bad person at all and we sympathize with her as Caity Lotz makes Annie's fear and anxiety seem tangible. Additionally, at two separate points in the film, a girl named Stevie is brought into the mother's house by Annie to see if she can talk to and get information from the "other side" with the hopes of finding out why strange things are happening and why her sister might have disappeared. Haley Hudson did a wonderful job playing Stevie. Stevie shows genuine concern for Annie at certain points, and when Stevie's body is rocked by convulsions due to the supernatural forces she is feeling, her pain and suffering are genuine and elicit fear and sympathy from the audience. Stevie's character is vital to the plot as she provides information to Annie that helps bring her to the resolution of the film.

Overall, this film is a mystery/thriller with great cinematography and a rich plot that will keep you at the edge of your seat until the shocking twist at its conclusion!

Rating: 4/5.