Film Review – Self-Help

Erik and Carson Bloomquist love to make horror movies. The siblings have been very busy with genre work over the last three years, creating “She Came from the Woods” and “Founders Day,” and they jump right back into the fright business with “Self-Help,” which has certain moments of bloodiness and suspense. But perhaps not enough of the terrifying stuff. The new feature is an odd creation, as the Bloomquists look to examine the predatory ways of cult influence and family ties, attempting to blend the real-world struggles of trauma with some slasher cinema offerings. The endeavor has its appeal, collecting excitable performances and a handful of effective sequences. It’s just not all that intense, missing a more aggressive approach that might trigger a few genuine scares. “Self-Help” is oddly sedate for a Halloween-set chiller, but the Bloomquists have their moments. One just wishes there were more of them. Read the rest at Blu-ray.com