Echoes of Fear (4/5) – Movie Review

ECHOES OF FEAR is a new horror movie that works really well. The first part may be a bit slow, but don’t let that fool you. This is an awesome horror movie with lots of brilliant scares. Also, this movie is already winning awards at film festivals. Read our Echoes of Fear review here!

Echoes of Fear is a new horror mystery that works on so many levels. After the somewhat slow opening, I wasn’t expecting much. However, this was just the soft introduction to both characters and circumstances.

By the time the credits came, I was a very happy horror camper who wanted to tell everyone to watch Echoes of Fear. Of course, the fact that this horror movie is already winning awards at various film festivals should have been a clue. I just figured maybe it wasn’t for me – or maybe I wasn’t in the mood to watch it.

Well, that certainly changed quickly once the horror really began. Read more in our full Echoes of Fear review below.

The best scares in a long time!

I know jump-scares tend to be something people either love or hate. It’s become such a horror trope that you’ll see the jump-scares coming a mile away. Well, not when it comes to Echoes of Fear.

And honestly, the reason why it works so ridiculously well in Echoes of Fear is probably that they’re going for pure horror. The kind that will make you jump, but only because even the tiniest things are so well-timed. Forget about music warning you that something is coming. Or even the obvious “let me close the fridge and something will be in the background”.

No, Echoes of Fear has developed its own perfectly-timed moments of horror. A lot of this is due to brilliant cinematography and the perfect reactions of its cast. 

Another huge element is the fact that the story keeps developing. Please, please, avoid spoilers before watching Echoes of Fear. You will get all the answers you seek when watching the movie and even scrolling through the IMDb page for this movie could spoil you. A headline from a user review did that for me (though only in a small way).

The casting of Echoes of Fear

I had a rather big problem with the beginning of Echoes of Fear since I really did not care for the lead character, Alisa. Or maybe I just didn’t like the way the actor, Trista Robinson, was portraying this character. Now, don’t worry, this isn’t a segment bashing any actor. Quite the opposite!

You see, by the end of Echoes of Fear, I really grew to like Trista Robinson (check out her horror movie resume on IMDb here) and the character of Alisa. While I saw her as weak and too soft-spoken at first, she became a kick-ass woman up there with the best of them. Basically, when the zombies are coming, I’d want her on my team. 

For the record, no, there are no zombies in Echoes of Fear. This is not that kind of horror movie. It is, however, a horror-mystery and while you’ll no doubt have fun trying to figure out what’s going on, you probably won’t guess all of it.

I should also mention that even when I didn’t like the character of Alisa, I still liked her friend, Steph. The character of Steph is played by Hannah Race who also did a brilliant job throughout the movie. This is the first feature film for Hannah Race, but hopefully, far from the last.

Finally, I want to mention the supporting actor, Marshal Hilton, who plays the disease-riddled neighbor, David. Another great addition to the cast and a face you might recognize if you’ve watched I Am Alone (2015) or Primal Rage (2018). Also, he has a total of seven movies completed or in post-production, so he’s keeping busy.

Don’t miss out on Echoes of Fear

Echoes of Fear was directed by Brian and Laurence Avenet-Bradley. The two are married and (according to IMDb), the movie is even shot at their house. Also, Brian Avenet-Bradley wrote the script for this movie and Laurence Avenet-Bradley is the cinematographer. Speaking of cinematography, it works extremely well for this horror movie (as previously noted).

Basically, this is the little horror child of the Avenet-Bradley husband-wife duo in every conceivable way. Oh yes, that is a great pun, I know!

When Echoes of Fear first began, I didn’t expect much more than a decent low-budget movie. By the halfway mark, I was couped up in the corner of my couch while holding a pillow for safety. Did I end up loving Echoes of Fear? Oh hell yeah! Don’t let the slow beginning and (annoyingly) naive lead character fool you.

This horror movie has already won several film festival awards for a reason! Watch it and you’ll understand why.

Echoes of Fear will be out in theaters in Los Angeles from October 16, 2019. It will also be released on digital January 1, 2020.

Details

Directors: Brian Avenet-Bradley, Laurence Avenet-Bradley
Writer: Brian Avenet-Bradley
Stars: Trista Robinson, Hannah Race, Paul Chirico, Marshal Hilton, Norman Zeller

Plot

Alysa inherits her grandfather’s house following his sudden death from an apparent heart attack. She cannot keep the house so travels there to prepare it for sale. While she is packing away her grandfather’s belongings some strange and unexplained events inside the house start to spook her and she soon comes to the conclusion that she is not alone there.

Even her pet mouse senses a presence. Something supernatural lurks in the house and she begins to believe that her grandfather was trying to find something before he died. When her friend Steph arrives they attempt to solve the mystery and what they uncover together forces them to confront the diabolical truth and the evil that hides inside.