“Paranormal Activity” has to be admired for straightforward storytelling, a well-crafted structure, and relatable horror with an inarguable ability to captivate conventional audiences.

Those who only want a stark horror film rooted in reality that engraves nightmarish imagery in the mind's eye will find that “Megan Is Missing” can accommodate in spades.

Flawed, imperfect, and at times irritating, “Skew” is a movie that gives more thought than most to its narrative, even if the cohesiveness can be considered tenuous.

“The Paranormal Diaries: Clophill” favors pseudo-documentary over purely fictional horror entertainment to present what a real-life ghost chase would actually be like: frightfully boring.

“Fear Lives Here” ping pongs between “okay I guess” and connect-the-dots conventions while depicting an exceptional example of what makes a horror movie mediocre.  The overall film may not completely sink to the bottom, but it certainly does not rise to the top, either.

The problem for "The Upper Footage" is that it has no chance to thrill as suspense or to engage as a character study because its characters are thoroughly obnoxious by design.

“+1” presents a fearless approach to storytelling ... the overall effect is one of a movie that has a unique take on venerable sci-fi ideas about reliving the past and meeting one’s clone.

“I Am ZoZo” is a too tame horror story that develops an occasionally eerie atmosphere, but it never delivers a solid jab, much less a knockout punch.

Everything in the first act that asks for attention ends up not mattering in a storyline that only leads to routine suspense fare any number of films have already done better.

The zombie genre is too saturated to take notice of a few animated muzzle flashes and some digital blood spray in service of an underachieving tale about three battle-hardened Army men and their dull autobiographer.

If not for the "twist" given away by the poster, "Mother" would play perfectly as one of those educational films masquerading as entertainment that teachers force bored students to suffer through.

"The Seasoning House" does not reinvent the revenge thriller, but it encapsulates all of the elements and feelings ... that give the sub-genre such power to leave a lasting impression on the mind.

All three shorts stroll leisurely through their storylines with a stride buoyed by a rich roster of supporting players, but pulled under by excessive padding weighing down the energy.

Unless the goal was for the audience to feel the same confused abandonment as a troubled orphan, "Dark Touch" misses as a psychological thriller with its slow to gel purpose and a lead character that is just not compelling.

"Cassadaga" delivers a memorable murderer, a captivating heroine, and enough ghost-charged atmosphere to recommend it as both supernatural suspense and as a serial killer thriller.

For all its attempts at an unconventional editing style, “The Secret Village” is a fairly conventional story that ultimately collapses from a disjointed delivery and a disappointing resolution.

Decent performances fight off narcolepsy in places, but “Mischief Night” has nothing original to say, and no new ways to say it.

“Butcher Boys” mirrors so much of "Texas Chainsaw Massacre" that it can be considered a contemporary retelling of the same story updated for a new generation.

("The Bell Witch Haunting") stays mostly true to the particulars of the legend, but disregards respect for the audience with an overreliance on convention and a lackadaisical approach to detail.  Formulaic in every way, this is more grist for the mill for anyone who wants to shake his/her head and yawn at the “found footage” sub-genre.

What ("Amnesiac") cannot do is inspire an audience to invest in stakes confined to one room and five people in a story that builds intrigue with all the intensity of a slow dripping leaky faucet.