We Are What We Are (2013)

I went to this film not knowing a thing about it. It really made a difference in the way that it was perceived because I didn't expect a thing. I didn't know if I would see something about an inventor, or a heist, or a love triangle... I had no idea.

This film captures the mood of an area of Upstate New York known as Delaware County. If you visit there, you get a feeling that people 'round them parts keep to themselves and don't care for telling anyone from outside what it's like.

In many ways this is not a creepy film with tension building again and again along with sudden "Boo! Scared Ya!" moments. That kind of stuff gets old quickly anyway. The strength of this film is in its professionalism. It's like everyone is trying to rise above the dreaded B level.

At the beginning of the film there are thunderstorms and floods that portend the rumblings of something unusual going on, and throughout there are beautifully photographed scenes showing the drenched landscape and lush vegetation of late spring.

The acting is excellent, most likely because the actors were provided with something that is rare in many films these days - a great script. Along with the mesmerizing musical score you are brought along at an even pace, mystified by the strange occurrences and behaviors.

By the end of the film, which builds to significant tension, you realize something more terrifying than you would have thought, with a horrifying twist, and a final country tune that might give you chills.