Butterfly Kisses Summary and Review - Blink and You'll Miss It
I love a good found-footage film and Butterfly Kisses ticks all the boxes with the added bonus that the narrative unfolds using documentary-style storytelling combined with supernatural horror, making for a suspenseful and unsettling experience.
Gavin York is a struggling filmmaker who stumbles upon a collection of old video tapes shot by student filmmakers Sophia and Feldman in 2004. The tapes chronicle their investigation into the urban legend of "Peeping Tom," a sinister entity said to haunt an abandoned train tunnel. According to the lore, staring down the tunnel without blinking for an hour will summon Peeping Tom, who draws ever closer each time you blink until he's up-close and personal - and not in a good way.
Gavin is fascinated by the tapes and becomes obsessed with proving their authenticity, seeing a chance to become the filmmaker he's always wanted to be as well as securing financial stability along the way. However, his determination soon spirals into desperation as his credibility is brutally challenged by sceptics and experts alike. Meanwhile, other events suggest that Peeping Tom might not be confined to the creative imagination of the original producers.
Gavin is not a particularly likable character. Prone to frustrated outbursts and obsessive behaviour, he allows his fixation on the tapes to damage his family life. Determined to prove the tapes are real, he banks everything on hiring a film crew to document his search for the truth. But this only brings humiliation when he’s met with a barrage of criticism during a live radio show. In a memorable moment, Ed Sanchez (co-director of The Blair Witch Project) pops up to publicly challenge Gavin’s claims, stirring some sympathy for him amid the ridicule. Unfortunately, the film sometimes lingers too long in this tug-of-war which highlights Gavin’s stubbornness but makes his struggle feel unnecessarily drawn out.
Overall, the film maintains gripping and terrifying momentum and keeps the viewer engaged with a shifting change of focus and loyalties as the layers are peeled back and Gavin uncovers more of the Sophia and Feldman's story. As Gavin’s belief in the footage grows, so does the presence of something sinister lurking just beyond the edge of the frame.
Butterfly Kisses is a Russian doll of a film featuring a mockumentary about a documentary about a documentary, weaving together multiple layers that blur the lines between fiction and reality. Despite frequent shifts between time periods and a variety of experts and witnesses contributing to the narrative, the film maintains clarity. Solid direction, a well-written screenplay, and distinct performances ensure that viewers can, for the most part, keep track of events and characters. The camera work and lighting are excellent, avoiding the usual found-footage pitfalls, so the viewer isn't disorientated by shaky camera work or poorly lit scenes.
Though the supernatural threat of Peeping Tom occasionally takes a back seat to the film’s exploration of ambition, obsession, and the price of chasing the truth (or fame), this doesn’t lessen its impact. When Peeping Tom does appear, the fear escalates with his eerie and sinister presence. And the reason for the film's title? That revelation will send a shiver down your spine.
Gavin York is a struggling filmmaker who stumbles upon a collection of old video tapes shot by student filmmakers Sophia and Feldman in 2004. The tapes chronicle their investigation into the urban legend of "Peeping Tom," a sinister entity said to haunt an abandoned train tunnel. According to the lore, staring down the tunnel without blinking for an hour will summon Peeping Tom, who draws ever closer each time you blink until he's up-close and personal - and not in a good way.
Gavin is fascinated by the tapes and becomes obsessed with proving their authenticity, seeing a chance to become the filmmaker he's always wanted to be as well as securing financial stability along the way. However, his determination soon spirals into desperation as his credibility is brutally challenged by sceptics and experts alike. Meanwhile, other events suggest that Peeping Tom might not be confined to the creative imagination of the original producers.
Gavin is not a particularly likable character. Prone to frustrated outbursts and obsessive behaviour, he allows his fixation on the tapes to damage his family life. Determined to prove the tapes are real, he banks everything on hiring a film crew to document his search for the truth. But this only brings humiliation when he’s met with a barrage of criticism during a live radio show. In a memorable moment, Ed Sanchez (co-director of The Blair Witch Project) pops up to publicly challenge Gavin’s claims, stirring some sympathy for him amid the ridicule. Unfortunately, the film sometimes lingers too long in this tug-of-war which highlights Gavin’s stubbornness but makes his struggle feel unnecessarily drawn out.
Overall, the film maintains gripping and terrifying momentum and keeps the viewer engaged with a shifting change of focus and loyalties as the layers are peeled back and Gavin uncovers more of the Sophia and Feldman's story. As Gavin’s belief in the footage grows, so does the presence of something sinister lurking just beyond the edge of the frame.
Butterfly Kisses is a Russian doll of a film featuring a mockumentary about a documentary about a documentary, weaving together multiple layers that blur the lines between fiction and reality. Despite frequent shifts between time periods and a variety of experts and witnesses contributing to the narrative, the film maintains clarity. Solid direction, a well-written screenplay, and distinct performances ensure that viewers can, for the most part, keep track of events and characters. The camera work and lighting are excellent, avoiding the usual found-footage pitfalls, so the viewer isn't disorientated by shaky camera work or poorly lit scenes.
Though the supernatural threat of Peeping Tom occasionally takes a back seat to the film’s exploration of ambition, obsession, and the price of chasing the truth (or fame), this doesn’t lessen its impact. When Peeping Tom does appear, the fear escalates with his eerie and sinister presence. And the reason for the film's title? That revelation will send a shiver down your spine.
Butterfly Kisses is a very well-made found-footage film deserving of its popularity among critics and audiences alike. So grab the popcorn, dim the lights and settle down to a tightly written and directed 91 minutes of terrifying entertainment. Just try not to blink.
4/5
Gavin York: Seth Adam Kallick
Sophia: Rachel Armiger
Feldman: Reed DeLisle
Director: Erik Kristopher Myers
Writer: Erik Kristopher Myers
Released: 2018
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