Writer Dixon Barker and director Gav C. Steel, who also play the main leads in the movie, have created something very unusual here. A self-referential movie, which even gets more meta when more and more of its different planes of existence come in view. What starts out as just another “Blair Witch”-clone, surprises after just a few minutes with lots of unexpected twists and turns. The only problem this movie really has is, that it’s almost impossible to discuss it probably, without going into spoilers.

So just let’s concentrate on the pure facts here. The whole movie was shot with a budget of just 150 $ and so it’s filled with friends and family of the writer/director duo. Interestingly enough this is exactly what makes it work so good in the end. You believe in the characters because they ARE real for the most time. It also doesn’t hurt that the script is not only witty in its structure, but the written dialogue is full of references to horror-movies and movie-making. These guys know their audience, because they are it.

Another rating star from me has to be given to the humour of “Preternatural”, because in all the scary stuff going on around them, our two heroes always find the time for some more or less bad puns. Of course not all of them work and to get some of the more obscure ones the viewer needs a good knowledge of the horror-genre and/or Monty Phytons complete catalogue.

Also worth mentioning is the music from Chuckie Steel, which is almost absent from the first 45 minutes (for reasons I won’t discuss here), but adds a lot to the atmosphere of the second half.

But even with all these positive impressions, in the end it’s tough to recommend the movie. A “normal” audience will probably be bored, because most of the insider stuff will go far above their heads and for fans which needs their horror not just atmospheric, but also bloody there’s nothing to see here. And even if you get the humour and all the references you probably won’t like it, because it lacks the scares. Surely there are some attempts at jump scares and the story as it stands is unnerving, but more in the way of a sci-fi movie.

So, if you like a nice brain-fuck and don’t need gallons of blood and big set-pieces, or if you just planning to re-watch “Blair Witch” for the umpteenth time, you will probably like “Preternatural”. I personally didn’t like it – I loved it, but I’m a strange guy.

RATING:
IMDB-rating            still awaiting any votes
My rating                7.0/10