Hana's Game

After the bad reviews I had read on several websites, I didn't have any faith in this movie.... but until you see it you can't say anything. It's a good drama with touches of sci-fi and horror. The fact that the whole movie takes place in an apartment may put off a type of viewer looking for more action, but in my point of view this fact plays totally in its favor.

The film shows us a very tough mental illness. The fear of the outside world is creepy on its own and as someone who knows what the subject is about, for X circumstances, I can only thank the director and screenwriter James Croke for the respect they show for this disorder.

Two separate mentions deserve the two leads - Alexis Ren as Jen, Hana's (Sasha Luss) only friend and her contact with the outside world is very tender, almost romantic and inevitably tragic. Alexis embroiders it. And what about Sasha Luss in her role as Hana, the woman whose world is based on video games, with a tragic past and a no less sad present. Both of them shine with their own light.

Special mention to the special effects, which fortunately are more effective than gimmicky.

A film full of details that does not deserve such a bad review.

Before watching a movie, turn on your TV to maximum brightness - then you may be able to see something. But if you watch a dark screen 50% of the time, it's not a problem, you won't lose anything. A boring movie about a dirty (literally) girl who lives in a pigsty and saves energy. The entire movie is shot in a dark room with the windows draped and no lights on in the room. Almost all the light comes from the monitor, you can hardly see anything, not even the faces of the actors. The idea of the movie, the script, dialogues - as it seemed to me written by a junior high school student or a neural network (although, in my opinion, a neural network can write a better script). I did not empathize with the protagonist of the movie, and during the viewing (I watched this "masterpiece" to the end - and it was not easy) I would like that someone would kill her as soon as possible and turn on the light in the room.... My doctor friend said that Covid had a strong influence on some people - and their intelligence decreased (to put it simply, people became dumber), I think this movie is made by such people for "self-similar". I don't recommend watching it.

Loved the concept of a headset ( I'm sure one of these is in development somewhere right now) that allows one to interact with video games with your mind rather than use a controller, like if you play doom you would attack things you see by thinking about it and choosing the weapons by using your thoughts. Pretty awesome to say the least. It would truly change competition gaming to a very high level unheard of in our lifetimes. But this movie goes a bit off the rails as the agoraphobic young girl does a video game competition for a lot of money and her friend bets on her winning to get even more , but her haunting visions take her over and her also dead agoraphobic mother begins to use her and do unspeakable things. She basically turns into a nightmare of a person. Not for the squeamish, some gore, a few really scary bits. I just wish they took it in a more positive direction instead of just another horror movie. Nothing questionable, no nudity or foul language. Not for the kiddos. Enjoy.

"Latency" starts off strong, gripping you with the story of Hana, a talented agoraphobic gamer who finds solace and competition in the virtual world. The film cleverly explores the allure of online gaming for those who struggle with social interaction in the real world. Sasha Luss delivers a captivating performance as Hana, embodying the vulnerability and determination of a woman yearning for connection.

The initial setup is promising. The introduction of the experimental gaming tech that blurs the lines between reality and the virtual world is intriguing. I was hooked, quickly planning out when to sit down with my daughters to watch as I was expecting well crafted moments where the lines of reality truly break down and the horror unfolds.

However, "Latency" loses momentum halfway through. The initial chills and suspense start to dissipate, replaced by a dragging plot that fails to deliver the full-blown mind-bender we were primed for. The scares become predictable, and the exploration of the psychological impact of the technology feels underdeveloped.

Despite the cool-off, the film does hold value as a cautionary tale. It effectively portrays the anxieties that can arise when the virtual world becomes all-consuming, especially for someone already grappling with isolation. The fear of losing control and the blurring of boundaries between reality and game become especially poignant for Hana, who's already dealing with the loss of a normal life due to her agoraphobia.

"Latency" is a film with a strong initial concept and a captivating lead performance. However, its execution falters, lef me wanting more from the mind-bending potential it sets up.

Based on the low score of reviews, I wasn't expecting much. While more of a psych drama than a horror, it had great moments. The ending definitely felt rushed, and the character development could have used some more work. At the end of the film you are left with more questions about Hana and I definitely think they should have expanded more on her charsgter. The horror elements in the film seemed unnecessary and did not add anything of value to the film. Visually, this film was very pleasing to watch with great CGI and I am a big fan of the set design, I think it told a lot more about the character than the script did. Overall, I liked the concept and things could have been done better but I enjoyed watching.