Review of "Poignant" by Jason Minton

Poignant (The Tormenting) – 2016

Production by: J&J Productions
Distribution by: Breaking Glass Pictures



Searching for a building to use as a health care facility, four friends find an abandoned hospital that is absolutely perfect for what they need. The former hospital is perfect in every way except for the spirits that haunt it. After visiting the hospital, Amy (Laura Mitchell) begins experiencing visions of a teenage girl (Emily Bandel) who was brutally raped and murdered. Amy struggles to keep her sanity as she tries to understand what the spirit haunting her wants. She pieces her visions together, forming a bigger picture of what happened that horrible night.

First time writer/director Jaspreet Kaur does an excellent job creating a low budget feature that looks professional enough to pass for a modern day horror you might find in theaters. Her unknown cast exceeds expectations for a first time filmmaker, performing better than most low budget horror films. In fact the only issue with Poignant, and it is a major issue, is with the script. The dialogue in the movie doesn’t flow in any realistic way. The actors may deliver it well but instead of a logical evolution of conversation, it’s as if someone referenced what they thought should be said in a movie. Logic of the characters actions is just as far off from reality. A great example of this is with Detective Martin. Eric Schweig creates interest in a smaller character of Detective Martin. Nothing the Detective does in the film is logical to what an actual cop would do. His actions either fit the needs of the script or seem to have been duplicated from what was seen in other films. The biggest sin of the script is the lack of action. The plot isn’t a bad one, it’s just that it’s portrayed as horror but without the payoff. It’s more of a mystery with a horror theme. I still liked Poignant more than I probably should have and for reasons I can’t explain.

2 out of 5 Headless Critics