Paranoia (2011) Reviews

• A really solid movie

  jkiehl2011-07-20

  My friends and I usually watch budget films for laughs. Favorite budget films that come to mind are Birdemic, Revamped, and The Room. This movie is NOTHING like those. I was blown away at the video's quality, the music, and most of the sound and acting, too (there were hiccups in the acting, as well as the sound, but it was very rare that anyone missed a beat). The plot was very good, although the movie /did/ drag slightly. However, overall, I was very pleased with the entire show. I heard that the film was made with the intention of proving a film could be good without a huge budget. If that is the case, they did a terrific job proving their point. I was much more entertained by this than I was most mega-films, such as any recent Terminator, Pirates, Waterworld, and Transformers. That being said, if you like movies that blow you away with special effects, obviously an indie movie isn't for you, and you'll want to steer clear of it. I'm giving it a solid 7 out of 10, which is much higher than I would rate most movies, because it is a good movie, but again, there is a little room for improvement.

• Amateurish and poorly acted...redeemable maybe for the biggest of Brad Jones fans.

  DarthVoorhees2012-07-22

  What can I say about 'Paranoia'? I try my hardest to get behind indie no budget projects like this if I see potential for improvement on a broader canvas. In the rare circumstances, the project transcends the microcosm canvas. I wanted to like 'Paranoia' because I do love Brad Jones of 'Cinema Snob' fame. He is a tremendous personality and easily my favorite of the internet reviewer crop. I do not think I need to give any further explanation of Jones or his website but if you are not familiar with it than it is a must see. 'Paranoia' is not a good introduction to Jones. I think it is the worst thing he has ever put his name on. The whole thing is a damn mess from top to bottom and I really can't piece where I see the greatest flaws because so much is wrong here. The script and dialogue read like something a thirteen year old would write. The script is all about creating false sense of 'mysterious' presence. The result is that this thriller doesn't have any thrills because there is no build up to anything. No tangible motivation is given to Jones' character Mark Bishop to really do anything, he has a body and he drives around with looking angsty about it. So Bishop doesn't really do anything but sigh and smoke his cigarette. A lot of these long montages of Bishop doing this are unintentionally funny. The surprise ending can be seen by an intelligent and alert person about forty minutes before it happens. There is less than subtle indicating in both the script and the acting. 'Paranoia' has the same problem with other stories where people lose touch with reality, we have to be able to believe the hero somewhat. Completely gone from 'Paranoia' is the sense of humor that has won Jones his fans. For a man who has made a career out of parodying and complaining about pretentious films, the sad fact is he's made one. 'Paranoia' takes it's self way too seriously. Yet, this isn't my main problem with the film. The acting is terrible on all accounts except for maybe Jones and a small cameo from Jerrid Foiles. People familiar with 'Cinema Snob' will no doubt recognize everyone from Brad's videos. They seem like cool people and I can see why Brad has built them as a team of collaborators around him. Unfortunately they have no talent for dramatic acting. I don't want to rub it in but no one in this cast could pass an audition for anything other than a Brad Jones film. I think the script is terrible but there's only so much blame you can put on it. I admire Jones for being a good friend and giving his friends acting opportunities but the cost is really making this the next best thing to unwatchable. If you are a Brad Jones fan and curious about the film than I say it is worth seeing. I won't let my fandom for him though blind me to the fact that he made a bad film. I am sure he can come back from it. I would recommend at the very least to find another screenwriter collaborator or to play into the strengths of his entourage.

• A Good Low Budget Thriller

  hankfeldman592011-07-12

  Filmed on a shoe string budget in the midwest, "Paranoia" is a pretty damn good, if somewhat predictable, indie thriller. The film's star Brad Jones is mainly known for his internet comedy, but he really comes through in this darker, more disturbing role. If you don't like microbudgeted filmmaking, you're not going to like this; and if you simply don't like the filmmakers, you're also not going to like it. On it's own, the music is top notch, the acting is very good, and the film's pacing keeps you interested. The main plot is that Brad has killed an intruder in his house who he thinks is a serial killer, so he goes through a long night of torment when getting rid of the body.

• My Review for it from MovieCynics(dot)com

  BobbyBless2011-07-01

  Frustrated with Hollywood's growing inability to constantly produce films worth paying to see, Brad Jones, a fellow cinephile who calls himself The Cinema Snob (and also a contributor for That Guy with the Glasses), has gotten together with a group of friends to make a film called Paranoia. A film, though having some flaws, ends up being a nice little independent thriller. In the film, Mark Bishop (Brad Jones), an inspiring/failed writer from a small town that is being terrorized by a serial killer, has a deadly encounter with a mysterious man (Brian Irving). Not sure if the man that was in his home was the killer or not, Mark decides to skip going to the authorities and any unwanted attention that would come from that and the media onslaught afterwards by getting rid of the body himself. However, as time goes by, Mark develops an increasing feeling that the real killer may still be lurking. Even though Paranoia is a low budgeted indie thriller, the film doesn't really feel like one. Sure, the plot is a simple one and there are some other low budget issues (that we will get into later), but, for the most part, Paranoia is a pretty good film. Ryan Mitchelle's (The Hooker with a Heart of Gold) direction is solid throughout and his pacing is great. Brad Jones, who also served as the film's writer, does an equally impressive job with the script… especially with a certain dialogue heavy scene towards the end of the film. The only drawback to his script, though, comes from the "twist." The problem with the "twist" doesn't come from it being lame; in fact, the "twist" works for the movie. The problem with it comes from the fact that it's hinted at a bit too early. Once they throw it out there, and assuming you're smart enough, you already know how the movie will end; thus killing the impact of the "twist." Other than the "twist," the only other flaws the film has are the same problems that other low budgeted films have; acting blips and some audio issues. Don't get me wrong, both issues are fairly minor in this film, but they are still there. The minor acting blips are only there because, well, since they didn't have a massive budget, they got their friends to help out. As for the sound issues, they don't happen often, but there are scenes, especially at the beginning of the film, when the camera is focused on one character, namely Mark, and another character says their lines off camera. This is a problem mainly because in one shot, the two characters aren't that far apart, but when the camera focuses on Mark and the other character says their lines, it sounds like they are reading them from across the room. Now, a lot of people aren't going to care about this, but for me, this is a problem because it detracts from a good movie. Overall, Paranoia isn't the greatest movie ever made, but with its solid direction and impressive script, the film turns out being a nice little surprise. Final Synopsis: It has its flaws, but that doesn't stop the film from being a good movie. Help support indie films by checking it out. Points Lost: -1 for the hinting at the "twist" a little too early, -1 for some audio problems, -1 some minor acting blips. Lesson Learned: The trunk of a Nissan Sentra is a great place to store a body. Burning Question: Why couldn't the cop tell the difference between blood and ketchup? Paranoia 7/10

• An Enjoyable Experience, but Drags

  antjusino2014-02-19

  Jones' acting in this film is surprisingly solid, having known him only from the Snob Reviews and his Midnight Screenings show. His performance, despite missteps and repeated driving&cigarette smoking, definitely carries the film. Brian Lewis as the policeman does a pretty fair job for looking nothing like a policeman, and Sarah Ogg and Jillian Z also turn out decent performances, despite a lackluster script. Brian Irving seems quite unfit as the mystic Carl Stowers, however. A deeper voiced, more menacing actor would have made more sense, and his light delivery and quarter-smile give him away. I enjoy the black & white writer's cut, despite its sometimes ill-placed soundtrack. Aside from Jones' acting, what made this film more than just watchable was director Ryan's ability to establish a creepy, uneasy, or just unsettling atmosphere. The low budget nature of the film only added to dark tone it maintained. The dialogue was written quite decently, though it is sometimes delivered too unrealistically to take seriously (except for Jones mostly)(his terrible "AHH!" headache screams notwithstanding) The weakest link in the chain, though, is the pacing. The film is too tonally one note to illicit any real feeling other than unease after the halfway point. Things become non-linear and clues come about, but until the climax, the viewer may struggle to gain footing as to what the hell is going on. I enjoyed it regardless.