Starring - Kevin Bacon (Friday the 13th, Tremors), Zachary David Cope (The Wedding Singer), Kathryn Erbe (D2: The Mighty Ducks, How to Get Away With Murder)
Release Date - 1999
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Some doors weren't meant to be opened"
Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
When people think of horror and the legendary actors that have spent decades appearing in genre films, they never think of Kevin Bacon. I know I don't. It's was not until I started writing this review for a film featuring him that I realize how much he has contributed to the genre. We Have the original Friday the 13th, Tremors, Hollow Man, MaXXXine, Flatliners, The Demon Murder Case, and The Darkness to name a few. There is another dozen or so thrillers and so forth that he has appeared in as well for those that want to take a deep dive into his career. He's no stranger to horror and has appeared in several of my genre favorites included the severely underrated Stir of Echoes from 1999. I had the film on VHS many years ago and was recently sent the UHD release for review. This was the perfect reason to revisit one of Bacon's most underrated performances. I want to thank Lionsgate for sending this one over to review.
The film follows everyman Tom (Bacon) who is hypnotized by his sister-n-law at a party. He quickly starts to hallucinate and seeing people that is not there. It starts to hinder his work and personal life and soon realizes he is receiving visions from a teenage girl that went missing a few days before he moved into the neighborhood. With his life spiraling out of control around him, he begins searching the property for her missing body only to uncover the nasty truth about her and her connection to his neighbors.
Stir of Echoes is one of those films that got swept under the rug by bigger releases of the time only to find a cult following in the years since. I blame it on premiering the same year as M. Night Shyamalan's The Sixth Sense which consisted of artwork using similar colors and a plot involving seeing ghosts. The movie was definitely overlooked at the time for various reasons but I think horror fans have since discovered it and have added it to their lists of favorite films. The acting in this one is great. Bacon never disappoints and I love seeing him in a role like this. Most films he has been in has him being the calm and collected character but this film shows another side of him that I truly enjoyed. While the supporting cast is great, it's Bacon that truly makes the film as enjoyable as it is. The story for this one is a bit out there with someone having a "sixth sense" or gift awakened after being hypnotized while drunk. However, it makes up for it with a long, drawn out character arc that really pays off at the end. It does become predictable by the third act but the visuals and haunting atmosphere makes it worth the ride. Finally, the film isn't a bloody or violent flick. It does have one scene that will pull at your emotions a bit, especially if you are a parent, but those looking for a body count will be disappointed. With that being said, I really enjoyed the make-up effects and visuals used. It really added another level of atmosphere to the film. Overall, Stir of Echoes may have found it's place in horror history but still has so much more room to grow. If you have never seen this underrated classic then I highly suggest you snag this UHD release from Lionsgate.
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