Stephanie (2018) Movie Review
Written By: FR
Edited By: Grave Reviews Staff
Film Information
Director: Akiva Goldsman
Writers: Ben Collins, Luke Piotrowski
Producers: Jason Blum, Ellen Goldsmith-Vein, Adrienne Biddle, Matthew Kaplan
Date Released: April 17, 2018
Cast:
Frank Grillo as Dad
Anna Torv as Mom
Shree Crooks as Stephanie
Jonah Beres as Paul
Lausaundra Gibson as TV Reporter
Samantha Smith as Doctor
Rating = 3/5 Graves
***May contain some spoilers***
Synopsis
Stephanie (2018) is about a young girl named Stephanie who becomes abandoned by her family after a global incident occurs. As a result, she is left in the home by herself with no one to support her. However, what is left behind is a strange and evil entity that stalks her. Stephanie must hide from this spirit until her family comes back to try and save her.
Gore Factor
The film does not have a lot of blood and gore. There are a few violent scenes such as when a little girl is shot several times or when a man and woman are killed by an unknown entity either by snapping their body or stabbed with a knife. However, some of these scenes do not depict the scenes but rather allude to the conduct. In addition, other scenes involve people getting killed by a supernatural presence which snaps their necks. These scenes are also shot in an indirect way making the film more conceptually rather than visually disturbing.
The Grave Review
What stood out in the film, Stephanie (2018) are the performances. The young girl is played by a young, talented actress Shree Crooks. She is very impressive in respect to how she carries most of the film. At certain points on the film, Crooks may be on camera by herself for more than thirty minutes at a time. Given the high dependency on her performance, she performed very well depicting various emotional and facial reactions. Anna Torav and Frank Grillo who played the parents also gave solid performances.
Screenplay is very minimal, as the movie depends on mostly the visual effects and the imminent warning of an unknown force.
Stephanie is a well-written movie, thanks to the unique concept of the story. However, the screenplay created an overly simplistic plot and the film felt dependent on other aspects such as the visual effects and suspense. The plot and the mystery behind the spirit unfolded in a logical manner but the concept was not enough to carry the entire film. On a positive note, the eerie atmosphere and the suspense of various noises and doors slamming provided a classical scare factor which was pleasant to view.
Overall, the film is commendable for providing an interest concept and good execution. Fans of the paranormal may find this film enjoyable despite some its downfalls.
For the foregoing reasons, Grave Reviews gives Stephanie (2018) three graves out of five graves.
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