SnoopyStyle
In July 2011, Aaron (Aaron Poole) and Jim (James Gilbert) are filming a documentary about local conspiracy theorist Terrance G. The man seems to be a newspaper-clipping recluse but there are plenty of people willing to agree. Everybody has their own crazy theory. Then Terrance disappears and Aaron becomes obsessed. They uncover a secret society called the Tarsus Club.I like the idea but I wish the filmmakers made more with the story. It's a low budget Toronto indie. It has some potential but it takes a bit too long with the paper clippings. There should be some men-in-black earlier. It needs to get from talking about conspiracy and dive into the conspiracy quicker. The hidden camera bit is more effective than I would have predicted but it lasts too long.
LeSamourai86
Two film-makers shooting a documentary on conspiracy theories soon find themselves out of their depth.Judging from the cover of the DVD, I was expecting another generic found-footage film with elements of a slasher movie, however, not since the paranoia films of the 70s (such as those directed by Alan J. Pakula) has a conspiracy film frightened me as much as this film did. In fact, I was more frightened than I normally am these days when watching most horror films. The style of this movie is a mix of pseudo-documentary and found footage styles, however, it is many times more convincing than the ones I have seen so far in the latter genre. Though it may not hearken to the classic 70s conspiracy thrillers in terms of its aesthetics, it certainly does so in spirit and in the extent to which it very effectively induces paranoia.The events in the film are given credence by the initial set-up, which references many real-life world events and conspiracy theories, such as JFK's assassination, 9/11 and World War One. The film asks and attempts to answer some of the questions regarding with whom power really resides, how much influence and control "they" have, and reasons for the methods "they" employ. One aspect chillingly realised is the extent to which "they" can manipulate not just what we see and hear but also how we see and hear it. The film shows how powerless we really are, at least as individuals, in the faces of these monumental positions of power; you'll be fine if you conform but anyone who dares to question will be dealt with. The film also asks how much freedom we have in society- are we truly free?A very strong element in the film is the score by Darren Baker, which is instrumental in creating an atmosphere of horror and dread. The score incorporates an organ (in certain sequences, the organ actually provides additional emotional depth), some very loud and ominous-sounding horns, and something which is reminiscent of an air-raid siren. I am listening to the score as I write this piece, and it does not lose its power outside of the film. It makes me long to watch the film again, and it has not even been 24 hours since I first watched it!The Conspiracy is utterly compelling and convincing, a chilling and believable film with much plausibility, a film which elicits a visceral as well as an intellectual response from its witnesses. Even if you don't subscribe to conspiracy theories, you just might find yourself being carried away by what this film proposes.Note: I would not be surprised if any/all proposed conspiracy theories are (ever) proved to be true. I find what is proposed in this film truly terrifying, however, one thought comforts me: the world will end one day, regardless of whether you look at it from a religious or scientific point of view. These powerful people and the rest of us will all be dust. When you think of it like this, these so called powerful people truly pale in significance. They are not powerful after all. None of us are.
Kenyae Kofi
I enjoyed this movie because it basically brings to life second thoughts about what we're going through and what type of oppression we could possibly be under. This movie was enjoyable and is a movie that gives you a feeling of nervousness and thrill and excitement. This movie definitely had me shaking in my boots and definitely gave me a life lesson off of this movie. This movie actually made sense in a lot of ways and made a non-conspiracy friend of mine totally start asking questions. I thought the characters Jim and Aaron needed to stop trying discover so much information because that could get them in trouble basically and I would have had a limit of how much I wanted to know. I felt bad for Jim because he looked like he might have ruined his wife's life and who knows if she would stay with him. I would love to see more movies like this.
