Rating of
2.5/4
Found Footage Worth Watching
Chris Kavan - wrote on 06/23/16
Even though the found footage phase of horror has long outworn its welcome, every now and then a film comes along to squeeze just a little more out the genre. While The Levenger Tapes is not the most original of horror films, it's also not a bad choice for those who aren't sick to death of found footage.
The characters seem pretty grounded in reality - led by Johanna Braddy (who may be familiar to those who watch Quantico) the film follows three friends out for a getaway in a somewhat secluded cabin. You have the talkative camera operator (Morgan Krantz) who is trying his hardest to impress the recently single Amanda (Braddy) with the more serious and downbeat Kim (Lili Mirojnick) also along for the ride. The movie switches between the three and a group of police officers (including Chris Mulkey) watching the footage of this trip. You see, a local girl has gone missing and the chief suspect is a local man (the Levenger from the title) who just so happens to have been caught on camera... but there is much more.
A minor incident leads to some big consequences as the trio find themselves on the run from a would-be killer and something much more horrifying - a feral creature that has no qualms about killing. Most of the movie is people running or looking scared but, for the most part, it does provide a decent amount of tension. Granted, it's also the kind of movie you wish you could reach inside and smack some sense into people making questionable decisions, but what horror film doesn't do that?
In the end, The Levenger Tapes is all around a pretty good horror film with believable enough characters and it ends on a better note than most horror films (though not quite enough to call this one a "happy" ending). If you're willing to give found footage one more chance, it's a worthy example of the genre.
