For a low budget, independent movie from an inexperienced director/writer, I thought this was actually pretty enjoyable. The plot is a bit of a rehash of the old mad scientist trope, but this time the mad scientist is a young adult who can't let go of his dead parents. Feeling guilty and responsible for their deaths, he embarks on a single-minded quest to contact them, using some pseudo-scientific theory involving electromagnetic fields. I guess they figured that audiences might get confused about EMF, so they dedicated several expository scenes on the science behind the kid's invention. Unfortunately, this does slow down the pacing a bit, but, unlike Primer, from which this movie seems to draw some influence, they managed to keep the technobabble to minimum. Like Primer, the invention is basically a MacGuffin, a black box that serves to advance the plot and draw the focus of obsessive behavior. Unlike Primer, the themes aren't as explicit, nor is it quite as compelling, though I fail to see why the rating is quite so low as it is (hovering around a 4, at the time of my writing). I'd say that it's pretty decent and probably worth a view for fans of supernatural thrillers. There's no gore, profanity, or nudity that I can remember, though there's a little violence and atmospheric tension. That makes me wonder if maybe it was aimed at younger audiences, especially seeing as how the leads are all fairly young. Still, I think it works fine for older audiences, as long as they're not expecting it to be a gory horror movie.
Add a Review
-
krachtm24 September 2011
-
robertemerald25 October 2018This is a more important movie than one might imagine. The premise is based on a rather odd science to do with ions still existing after death. According to the movie the theory was developed by a famous inventor many decades ago. So it has that as a premise, but the point is more the idea that possesses the grieving son, in that he must do all that is humanly possible to help bring back his parents, if only for the guilt he feels toward and the love he has for his younger brother. And that is the essential premise of this easy to watch and carefully plotted drama. The movie goes much further into the grief theme with other characters and a careful postulation toward the nature of after life. It rang true for me also how community responds to loss as well, with other sympathetic characters making a significant contribution. As an interesting sci fi movie (mind you, there are no special effects) it succeeded for me, and as a horror movie there is at least one genuine scary moment (with an appropriately unsettling yet simple lead up), one genuinely horrific realisation of the consequence of the experiment and a very tense scene of horror and drama just before the close. The acting is superb, particularly the lead and the younger brother. A lovely movie about two brothers suffering loss, somewhat remarkable as there is no significant contribution of a soundscape. It's so subdued that it creates a very eerie piece of suburban drama, a real oddity.
-
samkan2 March 2013Shoestring meaning GFTM's budget. Watching this movie reminds us that it is "know how", not money that results in good camera work, dialog, acting, etc. The acting, especially the three main characters, was very earnest; i.e., you can tell these guys have a desire to be professionals. The side roles, i.e., girlfriends, ghosts, etc., are also competent (with the exception of the cop). Contrast GFTN with similarly conceived and budgeted horror flicks with single shot camera work, blunt dialog and monotone delivery of lines. The thrills and suspense were enjoyable enough and not overwrought, the ending better than most. Some nice touches; e.g. meeting a deceased at the graveyard park on a sunny day. Only one small slice of unnecessary filler. When you think of it, GFTM is about as effective as a high budget effort; e.g., INSIDIOUS, MAMA, etc. Give these directors, makers, etc., some money next time!
-
Have you ever stood completely still in your house and felt the hairs on the back of your neck stand on end, or felt a sudden burst of chilled air in an otherwise warm room? Maybe what you are feeling isn't just a random altering of sensations, but rather a supernatural occurrence correlating to electronic emissions in power lines in and around your house.
Now, what would happen if say, you were an expert electrician whose knowledge of all things electrical is equaled only by your passion to resurrect your recently deceased parents by means of something resembling a large home stereo? You don't need a degree in electrical engineering to know that going against nature or bringing back something – especially through the use of science – you're not supposed to will and can only end badly. Lest we forget the lessons learned in Jurassic Park? Speaking of Spielberg's dinosaurs, it's no spoiler to say that director Matt Osterman's Phasma Ex-Machina doesn't have a T-Rex, a high speed chase, or even Jeff Goldblum for that matter. But what this film does have is an original ghost story script with just enough menacing moments to leave you with an eerie creeped out feeling when all is said and done. It also has a refreshing and more true-to-life (even in the supernatural realm in which it lives) ending seldom seen in bigger budgeted more conventionalized Hollywood type films. It would be interesting to see what this young filmmaker could do if given a bigger budget. I for one am looking forward to seeing what else he has to offer. -
veganbattlebot16 February 2013Given that this film has highly fair ratings on here, I decided to give it a shot. Right from the get-go the bad acting and slow, boring development really had me itching to turn it off - but, I rationalized, "Oh, it's an independent film. And there's a real trifield meter made by Alpha Labs in it. Give it a chance." Now here I am, writing this as the credits roll, and wish that I could take back the past hour or so of my life. The "acting" was non-existent. The plot was lame. The big "climax" was forced. It is also incredibly misleading to label it as "horror" and "sci-fi", seeing as nothing horrific or sci-fi ever happened. Maybe "drab indie drama" would suffice. Hopefully you read this review in time to spare yourself.
-
Where to begin...It's tremendously boring, the characters don't make any sense and have no depth AT ALL, it's LESS scary than a carton of milk on which you can't locate the expiration date. I couldn't tell if the actors were awful or their performances were awful because the script sucked so hard that they had nothing to work with.
It's exceptionally inappropriate to call this a sci-fi/horror film as it's labeled on netflix. It's like calling Requiem For A Dream a romantic comedy.
The only thing sci-fi about it is that there is a machine. A very uninteresting machine and the only depth given to it is that it enhances or maybe generates electromagnetic radiation because...uh ghosts or something.
The only thing that was remotely horror was that the main character's house use to be occupied by a couple who owned a day care and did... something? I guess the guy murdered his wife. That story element seemed to be just randomly thrown in so they could label it a horror film. Their story is never explained and has virtually nothing to do with the plot. You are never given any reason why they should be scary. Their just a couple of creepy looking grandparents. That's it. Oh and they're only on screen for maybe all of 5 minutes.
Which brings me to the thing about this film that motivated me to write this review: If this movie were only 10 or 15 minutes long I'd probably not like it but I wouldn't hate it. No, this thudingly dull movie wastes an hour, A WHOLE F^%$^%ING HOUR, before ANYTHING happens at all that starts to move the story forward. -
sydneydelaine9 October 2011I honestly don't have to much to say.
This is reaaaally terrible. I first rented it because it looked interesting and some of the best movies I have ever seen that isn't dumb-looking was unknown to me. So I picked it up and then later I checked IMDb and noticed the bad ratings but I had optimism. I watched it....yeah.
The acting is either really dull or really dumb. The characters aren't interesting. The story could work out if they made it well...WORK OUT. It seriously is not worth watching. Forget this movie. Walk away from it or you'll regret it. ....Trust me.
1/10 -
Rabh1710 February 2013There are a number of reviews smashing this movie-- mostly due to unmet expectations of normal Hollywood Horror. Worse, some people may be expecting it to be a modern remake on a Lovecraftian idea of a Machine that could open a gate to the 'Beyond'. If you're expecting a 'Re-animator' clone-- it's NOT. It's totally different.
It's a Ghost story that really runs like a Drama. And it's bareboned. It's done ENTIRELY without special effects. The 'Creep' is in the actors' situations alone. The Ghosts are a Dramatic Question...and the Question behind ALL Ghost stories is a Fundamental one posed: "Is it RIGHT for the Dead to come back to the Living?"
It's Not about whether 'The Dead Hate the Living' or 'Evil Spirits being unleashed' or 'Curses from beyond the Grave'
This movie is about what happens if you refuse to Let go. What happens if you actually bring the Dead Back into your Life when the World has already closed the books on their Lives.
A young man loses his parents, and seeks to undo their Deaths by bringing them back with a machine. But the World and Life really has no place or order for things that 'Should not be'. Bad things will happen.
Not Supernatural Bad Things...Just Inadvertent things. Unpleasant things. Irrevocable things.
As an indie/Non-Hollywood effort-- this one gets a solid round of applause from me. The acting was decent and heartfelt. And the timing was good with tension and build-up. And the ending was a solid moral stamp: You can't change What Was.
This is an intelligent indie/drama flick is good for a late, rainy weekend afternoon. And if you like it...it's also a Girl-friend Test. -
queun20 October 2013How do you make a "realistic" movie about reanimation? In all honesty you can't, but you come closest by presenting characters with realistic reactions and motivations in an implausible situation.
In most movies, the reaction to a loved one's unexpected return is most often horror or joy. The reaction could well be sadness and confusion. This is more subtle and thought provoking and more difficult to make interesting, but I think this film succeeds in that respect.
The messages are subtle, the presentation of a well worn plot device was original, the acting was believable.
If you need gore in a reanimation movie or pies in the face in a comedy, skip this movie. But if you want something to think about for a little while after the closing credits you may enjoy this. -
jamester0520 July 2011The first quarter of the film shows great promise. But quickly the film turns into a complete slop fest of awkward (can't look at the screen) acting, amateur screen writing (the film has no solid path/direction), and strange musical transitions.
The good:- The Idea - Some of the acting - Cinematography
The Bad: - Everything else.
The above reviews are completely misleading. There are so many obscure scenes in this film that take away from the solid premise. This could have been an AMAZING low budget horror film. A rewrite of the script, some better onset acting coaches, and you might just have yourself a killer of a film.
Watch this: With a bottle of wine and some friends. Know what you are getting into, and you'll have a good time.
C+ -
I find it frustrating that so often truly great independent genre films are poorly reviewed on IMDb or Amazon because they fail to follow the genre conventions established in Hollywood films.
For example, if "horror" to you means violence, blood, and gore--especially torture, rape, and exploding genitalia--then this film is not a horror movie. Similarly, if "sci-fi" to you means aliens, patriotic/ military subtext, and tentacle sex, then this film utterly fails as a science fiction film. Finally, if by character development or depth you mean something like protagonist A starts out as a good guy but eventually eats kittens or love interest B starts out as the girl-next-door but is revealed to be an S&M dominatrix by the third reel, then these characters are neither very well developed or sufficiently deep. However, while there is nothing wrong with people making or enjoying popcorn-munching, lowest-common-denominator genre films, there is another way to make great, entertaining films.
Phasma Ex Machina takes that other approach delivering believable responses from believable characters to unbelievable events. Suspend your disbelief and ask yourself if you'd really want the love of your life returned from the dead or your grand-daughter resurrected after twenty years? Ghost from the Machine succeeds in exploring how real people might learn real answers to these and other questions without descending into moralizing or allegory. Similarly, it succeeds in being genuinely creepy--and even frightening--without resorting to fake blood and orchestration-based jump scares. The film succeeds at these goals largely because its actors and locations aren't the usual Hollywood caricatures. The relationships depicted might strike us as underdeveloped or thin specifically in that they resist any attempts to hit us over the head with their supposed "depth." The events seem real even while the premise is spectacularly unlikely precisely because these characters inhabit a believable universe not dissimilar to our own.
Yes, the sex scene is awkward to the point of making us look away, but much like The Sessions (2012), it is so because it lacks the normal Hollywood glitter and slickness. Yes, the machine is merely a macguffin that occasions an exploration of real loss and tragedy. Yes, the inclusion of the former-pedophile-who-ran-a-daycare--and just happens to have lived in your house--subplot seems to push the limits of coincidence. However, even this can be overlooked if you are willing to admit that every house has probably had somebody distasteful living in it at some time or another in the past.
If you want to be genuinely frightened, abandon your tinsel-town preconceptions and check out this great film. -
Woodyanders23 January 2020Cody (a fine performance by Sasha Andrew) struggles with feelings of guilt and the responsibility of taking care of his petulant younger brother James (a nicely irritating portrayal by Max Hauser) after both his parents are killed in an automobile accident. Obsessed with somehow bringing his parents back to life, Cody creates an electromagnetic device that's able to conjure up spirits from the other side.
Writer/director Matt Osterman relates the absorbing offbeat story at a steady pace, maintains a reserved thoughtful tone throughout, grounds the fantastic premise in a plausibly mundane everyday reality, and takes tine to flesh out the likeable and relatable characters. Moreover, Osterman not only capably crafts a subtle spooky mood and pulls off a few genuinely eerie moments without resorting to either gore or cheap scares, but also delivers a poignant central message about loss, regret, and the need to let go so one can move on in life.
Andrew's strong acting as the driven Cody holds this picture together. Matthew Fenney likewise excels as forlorn and lonely, but friendly and helpful electrical whiz Tom. In addition, there are sound supporting contributions from Emily Fradenburgh as Cody's fed-up ex-wife Becca, Katrina Hawley as the sweet ghost of Tom's deceased wife, and Ellen Karsten as Tom's concerned girlfriend Jess. Adam Honzl's sharp cinematography and Wojciech Golczewski's spare understated score are both up to par. The surprise downbeat ending packs a devastating emotional punch. A lovely and affecting little sleeper. -
jcorty2825 August 2011Ghost From the Machine is an original and ultimately heartbreaking ghost story. Subtle and nuanced, the film tells the story of an afflicted young man who's bound and determined to reach and bring back his parents from 'the other side' at the expense of maintaining personal relationships. You hope he achieves his singular purpose because if not, he stands to lose a lot. After many trials and some success, he learns a difficult lesson in that no one is meant to ever come back.
The film itself is a more character based film than pure horror. Sure, it has its scares and genuinely creepy moments, but it's the focus on the characters which really drives the film. When I stated that it's subtle and nuanced, I meant it is in such away that it never really force feeds you the 'why' of Cody being so single minded. You just know that he is extremely grief stricken and in some way, feels responsible for what happened. The same with our widowed tech geek. You never really know the ins and outs of his relationship with his wife. You just know that she was the love of his life. The horror elements are balanced carefully with our character driven moments and the filmmaker pulled off this balancing act exceptionally well. Had he not done so, the ending would not have packed as much of an emotional of a punch as needed. Truly not a made for Hollywood ending.
Check this one out if you like more emotionally engrossing films that are thought provoking but also terrifying. It sounds like an oxymoron but this is one horror film that is truly different. -
alisonc-116 July 2010In Phasma Ex Machina, Cody (played by Sasha Andreev) is devastated by the sudden deaths of his parents; even though he's just barely an adult, he has sole custody of younger brother James (Max Hauser), whom he is unintentionally neglecting because of the force of his grief. A year and more later, he has become obsessed with creating a machine that will "bring them back," using electromagnetic fields and negative ions to create something of a bridge between one world and the next. After all, just because people have "passed over" into death doesn't mean the realm they go to is immune from the laws of physics, right? Cody is able to buy arcane electronic equipment, creating his own Vandergraaf Generator and using solar adaptors made and sold by Tom (Matthew Feeney), an older man just coming to terms with the death of his wife six years ago and just starting to form a relationship with a new woman. But Cody is on to something, and Tom's not as much over his grief as he thinks he is. Add to that the fact that nobody can control who might "come back," and, well, anything might happen....
This is a first film by writer/director Matt Osterman, who hosted the World Premiere at the FantAsia Festival in Montreal, and I've got to say, it's perfect. In every way, this is a perfect film - the writing, the direction, the framing of the story, the cinematography, the acting, everything. The only actor I'd heard of in this is Laurie King (who plays a middle-aged neighbour of the boys, in a small but key role), but every one of these actors is spot on. Completely naturalistic in behaviour and authentic in dialogue - you really believe these are real, ordinary people doing things that real, ordinary people do, or would like to do. I was especially impressed with Sasha Andreev, who looks a bit like a cross between Freddy Rodriguez and Casey Affleck, and whose acting is as good as the latter's without the annoying adenoidal voice. Even the ending of the film is perfect, in that not everything comes out alright, but that's okay because that is the way life really is.
Really. This film should be getting a decent release in the US - it helps a lot that it's American-made and in English, perhaps our only FantAsia film without subtitles; I've read rumours that major studios are already lining up for a Hollywood remake, but you know they'll mess that up. So do what you can to encourage a release, please; it's very much worth it! Go to HTTP://www.phasmamovie.com/ - the official website - and check out the trailer for yourself.
This is quite possibly the best film I've seen all year - not best FantAsia film, but film, period. A gazillion stars! -
azathothpwiggins19 November 2021Have you ever lost someone who was very close to you? Do you feel in any way guilty about / responsible for it? What if you could somehow bring them back?
Your answers to these questions will affect the way in which you view this film.
GHOST FROM THE MACHINE (aka: PHASMA EX MACHINA) uses a combination of science fiction and the supernatural to tell a tale of death, extreme remorse, and the unfortunate result.
As with its dark cousin THE MONKEY'S PAW, we're shown that some things are best left alone, and that we'd better be damned careful what we wish for.
A well-made, low-budget horror fable...