This was a movie that I kept seeing trailers for; not on purpose, but because it kept coming up when I was watching YouTube videos, or when I went to the cinema.
Sadly, while I really did want to see this film, this was definitely a case of the trailer giving away too much of the movie’s plot. I did enjoy watching the movie, especially with my oldest nibling, but I felt that there weren’t any real surprises, as the trailer had made it clear who Cooper actually was.
There was a lot of tension in this movie, and I did enjoy seeing how Cooper was outwitting those who were there to try and apprehend him. Josh Hartnett did a really good job portraying Cooper, and the steady decline in his mental state as the movie went on. To begin with, it was hard to reconcile the loving father at the start of the movie with the idea that he was likely a serial killer…but it became more and more believable that he was as the movie progressed.
I really liked Riley as a character, and not just because she bore more than a passing resemblance to my oldest nibling. Being a fan of events like conventions, I was really able to relate to her enthusiasm at seeing Lady Raven on stage, and how excited she was to be able to see her. I also loved the scene where everyone puts on the flashlight apps on their phones. That scene was visually a really good one.
I was a bit surprised by how big a role Lady Raven actually ended up playing in the movie. To begin with, it seemed like she was just going to be seen from afar…but as the movie went on and she became more and more involved in the plot, I found myself liking her more and more. She might have been scared at various points, but she also came across as very brave in a way that was more realistic than I’m really used to seeing in a lot of horror movies.
I liked Jamie as a character in the movie, though I cringed at how much he gave away to Cooper. I know Cooper gave off a family guy vibe (helped along by the presence of his daughter) and revealed he was a fireman…but come on, Jamie! Don’t just go giving your security code to the charming stranger you’ve only just met. Considering I have to deal with a lot of confidential things, his blase attitude made me cringe.
I also couldn’t really understand why Cooper shoved a young girl down some stairs, since that did nothing to get him out of the building and he surely didn’t think the distraction would be enough to escape? Perhaps an argument could be made that he was beginning to grow desperate, but given how calculated he was to start, that didn’t really seem to fit his character.
There were a lot of good things about this movie. I might have liked to see an actual twist, but I still liked watching this movie. And, of course, I really liked seeing M. Night Shymalan’s cameo, which I told my nibling we should look out for.
I would definitely say this movie is worth seeing, even if I was a bit disappointed that there was no real twist.
Ink of Blood 