Day 11 Movie Review: Rain falling off the walls of the cave, scared whispers among the old statues, and the creepy voice telling the group what they will play for their life, Day 11 definitely has the attention of its audience after a few minutes of its opening acts. The story is a glorified, delicious, and somewhat creepy fantasy thriller, with five friends falling into a supernatural situation and having to perform some mysterious tasks in 11 days or they’ll all perish in the cave. It seems to work well for a while.

The background sound is used to maintain the suspense, the rain gives texture, and the first act has all the ingredients of a wild thing that will happen next. There’s a point after that impassioned introduction, though, when the movie takes an ownership lapse. The film’s lackluster acting, clunky speech and repetitive scares gradually deflate the adrenaline of the experience and by its end, it’s more of an idea than a movie.

Five friends go on an informal picnic on a rainy day in a remote area where they discover a hidden cave with ancient statues and other eerie, supernatural phenomena. As they enter the cave, strange events occur, they are haunted by ghosts, and their hearts start to race. Things get even stranger when they find a pot when hiding in the cave. When they break it, in front of them a chessboard-like game comes, and then a ghastly voice says, “If they play the game, whatever is asked, it’s to be given.” It’s the moment that makes the heart of the movie, and at this point I was pretty committed.

The first thing that appealed to me was the film’s setting up of its basic conflict. The concept of the friends needing to finish the tasks within the 11 days or they will die inside the cave adds to the sense of urgency to the story. The first parts are entertaining – particularly the first 20 minutes. The entrance into the cave, finding the supernatural object, and the gradual build up of danger is relatively well done. I also enjoyed the music from the background as it always attempts to keep the scene dark and mysterious. The cinematography is also fairly effective in the cave scenes and during the outdoor scenes when it is raining, with the film supplying a moody visual texture.

But after the good start, it is a poor film that falls flat on its face. The acting was my main problem with Day 11. It’s a performance that feels forced in almost every instance, and few emotional moments come across. The characters respond in life-threatening situations in rather contrived ways, reducing the suspense significantly. Even the dialogue sometimes sounds like a child’s, particularly in moments where it is meant to sound intense or scary. Most sequences do not build up the psychological fear, but rather quickly become repetitive.

The other issue is that the film’s settings and story dates are always changing. The characters walk through woods one moment, and the story enters into surreal and dreamlike scenes with otherworldly voices and strange places the next. Sadly, these conversions are never dazzling or moving. The story definitely needs to be bigger on screen, but it’s actually quite understated in visuals. The film is smaller than the potential of its concept and many scenes are underdeveloped and lazy.

However, there’s no denying the gist of the story idea is solid. Survival horror had the potential of becoming an excellent thriller in a supernatural game set in fantasy. I wish only that the execution was as creative as the idea. The film is flawed but it’s still worth a look if people like experimental fantasy thrillers and cave mysteries involving supernatural elements. There is also nothing wrong with this so it can be viewed by families together.