Set in the 2009, Barry Levinson's The Bay tells the story of a small seaside town in Maryland the begins to witness strange happenings. There is something in the water that seems to be infecting everyone but no one, including the government, understands where the disease is coming from. As fear turns to outright panic, the government confiscates all the video footage of these occurrences making sure the demise of the town doesn't reach a nationwide panic. Barry Levinson's The Bay is a horror movie showcasing a cynical viewpoint on our governments ability to protect the individual. Structurally the film is told through the eyes of a reporter who has pieced together footage with the intent of exposing the horrible outbreak which happened to this small seaside town. The film is shot in a found footage style, showcasing the chaos which unfolds upon this small town when a grotesque parasite is released into the population, consuming people form the inside out. While The Bay is a decent concept for a horror film, the found footage aesthetic becomes quite tiresome. It's a film that simply comes off stale after the opening 20 minutes, with no real direction other than a heavy handed message which isn't very effective or interesting. The Bay is a one trick pony and after the novelty of an interesting concept wears off the film really struggles with any real sense of direction. The Bay would have worked far better with a linear narrative, letting the chaos unfold naturally instead of informing the viewer after the fact. Honestly I am still quite surprised how on interesting and poorly pace a film like this could be. Barry Levinson's The Bay is a missed opportunity that provides a minimal amount of scares for the viewer in delivering an unoriginal message that is not nearly as profound or interesting as it thinks it is. 4/10
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AuthorLove of all things cinema brought me here. Archives
June 2023
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