I hate to admit it, but I liked approximately 87% of this film. It was funny, kind of scary, and twisted just a bit of the “found footage” genre into something a bit more enjoyable. Instead of idiots in the woods with handi-cams, these camera operators are actual professionals. And instead of filming for their own selfishness, they are doing it to make sure IF they get murdered, the footage will be used to prosecute the perpetrators.

The film crew in question is filming a generic international house renovation show, where terrible Americans buy houses in countries they have no business being in. In this case, a hamlet in Moldova. I HATE these shows. All house hunting shows are fake, but the international ones make me want to revoke their citizenship. The Americans are always surprised by how small the kitchens are and complain about the lack of “green space.” I’m sorry this town founded in the 900s doesn’t have enough reclaimed wood and masonry to make it worth your time.

The nice part is, this film fully acknowledges that Americans are awful. The film crew is rude, no one bothers to learn the language, they make fun of the locals, and completely ignore the advice of the law enforcement to leave town ASAP. If a priest, a cop, and an old woman in all black told me to get out, I’m getting the fuck out. I don’t need former Soviet Union curses on my first born.

This film is fun, because you don’t know who is the real threat: the suspicious townspeople with literal pitchforks, or an unseen entity that may or may not be causing death or disappearance of townspeople. Turns out, it’s both! Even the helpful, slightly creepy local real estate agent isn’t safe from the wrath.

The ending is probably what will sway you one way or another to like or hate this movie. I won’t give it away, but you should know that it looks like 77% of the budget was spent on the last 12 minutes of the movie. Everything else was mostly practical effects (which I actually like in found footage movies). The reviews on this poor movie are devastating, so I suggest just watching the movie and not paying attention to those.

If nothing else, this film should be a warning to any and all Americans who think that can just easily escape to another country, as if they would want us. Rumors of century old witchcraft aside, I’d be extremely suspicious of someone who shows up in town and starts complaining too much. And wait until you see how much you’ll be paying in taxes!