In 1986 Halloween, 3 trick-or-treaters are killed after knocking on the door of 59 Oakwood Lane. One is found with Never Never Knock carved into his belly. The case remains unsolved and the house becomes urban legend over the next 40 years. In present day, Leah (Jodelle Ferland) and her friends invite troubled Grace (Dominique Provost-Chalkley) to a haunted house show. Grace survived a car fire which killed her mother. She brings along little sister Jenna. The group decides to do the Never Knock. Jenna disobeys Grace and knocks on the door after bloodying her hand.
Daylight often kills horrors. That is the major drawback in this movie. It would help in the kills and especially the CGI monster. All the CGI looks cheap which is par for TV movies. The idea of a creature killing with your greatest fear is good. The creature design is feasible and should only come on the screen after day turns into night. The horror designs are simply not good enough. It needs more creepy atmosphere. Otherwise, it's functional as a lower grade horror. The filmmaking is inferior but passable as a TV movie.
Neverknock
2017
Action / Horror / Thriller
Plot summary
In 1986, three teens were brutally murdered after knocking on the door of 59 Oakwood Lane. The killer was never found. Over the next forty years, rumors turned to legend, and while few will admit to believing the stories, kids are still warned never knock on the door of 59 Oakwood Lane for fear of what may answer. On this Halloween night, Grace and her friends are going to wish they'd heeded the warnings and never knocked - for the Neverknock.
Uploaded by: FREEMAN
Director
Tech specs
720p.WEB 1080p.WEBMovie Reviews
daylight kills
Don't come knockin' at this door
A better than average SyFy feature and worth taking a look at every Halloween season. Back in 1986, three teens dressed in their best Halloween gear knocked on the door a 59 Oakwood Lane only to be brutally murdered. The years go by and "trick-or-treaters" are all advised not to visit that address on Halloween night. The local urban legend grows and when a couple of new kids come to town, what else is there to do but go to knock on that door in hopes of a good scare. Instead of some short lived chills, the never knock warning proved to be legit. A hideous creature is unleashed and ready to instill your worst fear.
Written and directed by Sheldon Wilson, this treat features tension, fear and a scary looking creature. Starring are: Dominique Provost-Chalkley, Jodelle Ferland, Klana Maderia, Varun Saranga, Lola Flanery and the Neverknock Creature played by Troy James.
Preying on worst fears
Saw 'Neverknock', being fond of horror regardless of budget (even if not my favourite genre) and being intrigued somewhat by the idea. Being behind on my film watching and reviewing, with a long to watch and review list that keeps getting longer, it took me a while to get round to watching and reviewing it.
Giving 'Neverknock' a fair chance with being interest and apprehension, it turned out to be better than expected. It is still a rather mediocre film and the potential, while not wasted, is not fully lived up to. Considering the large number of films seen recently being mediocre and less and wasting potential, was expecting worse and was relieved that while wanting in a fair few areas it was actually one of my better recent low-budget viewings.
'Neverknock' started off quite well, the first twenty minutes or so starting the film off on a promising, unsettling and atmospheric note that really does intrigue. The antagonist was creepy at times and there are a few neat kills.
Production values did have some eeriness and nowhere near as cheap as expected, and the music, which not the most memorable in the world, didn't detract from the atmosphere.
The setting is effectively spooky and a few actors were not bad. There are spooky and suspenseful moments and it isn't dull in the first, and the storytelling at first does intrigue.
However, the story was severely wanting in the second half after starting off promisingly. It is very disjointed and after the promising start the final third especially loses atmosphere, one loses interest and things start to not make sense. Too much of the film is vague and doesn't explore some elements and story strands enough, parts are so silly it is hard to take it seriously or trying hard not to.
Ending is completely unsatisfying, so clumsy, predictable, cheesy and stupid. Got the sense that the writers didn't know how to end the film. Would have liked much more tension and suspense, scares could have been more consistent and some weren't surprising enough.
Found too the script to lack natural flow and with a fair bit of cheese and blandness going on, and the characters bland with some adopting some annoying and not always logical decision making. Too many of the actors are poor, Dominique Provost Chalkley grating on the nerves. The direction too often feels phoned in and most of the kills were uncreative and tame. Even the antagonist got cheesy as the film progressed.
Altogether, mediocre but could have been worse. 4/10 Bethany Cox