The 3rd Floor (2007)

- written November 2007

Summary: Howard and his wife have just settled into their new apartment…but not without a few minor issues. Considering his brother called in the middle of the night to let them know it was free and it turns out the previous occupant died recently, in the room…not all is perfect for Howard. But soon he starts to hear noises, that no one else hears. As he starts to investigate he realizes things have been covered up, hushed up or downright ignored for a long time. Except Howard isn’t the kind of guy to just leave things be. He’s gonna get to the bottom of this mystery, if only to prove his own sanity!           Overall: I hate to start off a review like this, but I will. I’ve seen a lot of bad low-budget films in my time, but when I do see a good one, such as this one, it really makes me wish those directors and writers could have watched how a good film got made. But then again Steve would have had a much larger crew on his set!           This is a well made film with some decent acting and a pretty good script. But even more than that, it’s obvious Steve understands his limitations and isn’t going to abuse them. Example is regarding the scenes of the elevator and the scariness involved on the 3rd floor. We never really see the floor, but instead we see a lot of darkness, hear a lot of spooky things and then we see the effects on the poor victims. Most films would have showed us bad effects, bad makeup and given us poor work. Steve however does more, with less. He doesn’t need to show us anything because he’s using sound and atmosphere and acting to get the job done. I like that.           I do have 2 small complaints. Howard does go to great lengths to figure out what’s going on...almost too far. After the first few interviews, I think I’d have stopped and assumed I was ok and the place was haunted. Frankly, by the time he proceeds after the condo owner, I think that was too far. The point is taken. The 2nd being the priest’s story. Again, a bit too long.           Back to the good stuff! The best performance for me was “Bradley.” Great stuff there with a great role to really dive into. Awesome job overall. Really enjoyed the film!           Comparison: Five Girls meets Poltergiest 3

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