Phil's Halloween Horror Watch: THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR (2016) from 20th Century Fox - October 31, 2016

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR Blu-Ray

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR
Starring Sarah Wayne Callies, Jeremy Sisto, Sofia Rosinsky, Logan Creran, Suchitra Pillai, Javier Botet
Written by Johannes Robert, Ernest Riera
Cinematography by Maxime Alexandre
Edited by Baxter
Produced by Rory Aitken, Alexandre Aja, Ben Pugh
Directed by Johannes Roberts
Released by 20th Century Fox

My Halloween Horror Watch marathon continues with another fantastic film that was very entertaining and horrifyingly chilling. I've heard good things about this movie and it took me awhile to finally get around to watching it. Filmed in India, THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR explores the different beliefs and evils that exist in other parts of the world.

The film's official synopsis: A family lives an idyllic existence abroad until a tragic accident takes the life of their young son. The inconsolable mother learns of an ancient ritual that will bring him back to say a final goodbye. She travels to an ancient temple, where a door serves as a mysterious portal between two worlds. But when she disobeys a sacred warning to never open that door, she upsets the balance between life and death.

Sarah Wayne Callies is just an amazing and wonderful actress. Here, her character Maria is so lost without her son that she will do anything to get him back. Her depression and desperation gets the better of and now she must come to grips that her son is gone and she must move on or her family will die. To display all these different ranges of emotions requires talent and Callies nails her performance perfectly. I was such a huge fan of hers since The Walking Dead and now she can be seen on the new USA sci-fi show Colony so this makes me very happy.

Theatrical Movie Poster (2016)

Also turning in a great performance is Suchitra Pillai, who portrays Maria's nanny Piki. Wise, caring and devoted to Maria's family, she tells her of the ancient ritual but warns her of the consequences if she breaks the rules. Pillai is quite famous in her native home of India. She is an actress, singer, model, anchor and VJ. She started acting back in 1993 and has appeared in several Bollywood movies like DIL CHAHTA HAI (2001),  FASHION (2008) and FITOOR (2016). Actor Jeremy Sisto (who plays Maria's husband  Michael in the film)has had a long career in Hollywood, appearing in CLUELESS, SUICIDE KINGS, THIS SPACE BETWEEN US, ANGEL EYES, MAY, WRONG TURN, THIRTEEN, WAITRESS and ROBOT & FRANK.

The film was directed by English filmmaker Johannes Roberts. He made his feature film debut with the 2001 SANITARIUM. He made several movies in England such as ALICE (2002), HELLBREEDER and DARK HUNTERS (both in 2004). His first film made here in the states was the 2011 feature ROADKILL for the Maneater Series and was shown on the SyFy Channel. Here, Roberts exhibits his growth as a competent director, creating fear, scares and dread as well drama and character development. He captures all the beauty and horror of India and showcases their beliefs, their folklore and their rituals.

The movie was released on March 4, 2016 in limited release in select theaters. It grossed $2.8 million domestically and $4.5 million internationally. However, critical response has been less than warm. Despite these negative reviews, I thoroughly enjoyed the film and was captivated by its story, characters and directing.

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR is a brilliant, entertaining and horrifying movie that will haunt your Halloween season! If you want to see something different in your horror film, then make sure you add this title to your library! 3 1/2 out of 5 stars! Recommended viewing!!

THE OTHER SIDE OF THE DOOR is available on both Blu-Ray and DVD. The movie is also available on iTunes, Video On Demand, digital download and Netflix.

Thanks for reading, and enjoy the screaming!