There's nothing pretty about Becoming

 

‘Do you really want to teach middle school for the rest of your life?’ – Angela Corrigan

While on a road trip young engaged couple Alex and Lisa encounter an evil entity that possess men and strips away their identities.

Being a horror movie and just under two hours Becoming seemed like a good choice which is criteria I need to stop using because it hasn’t served me well the last few times. This time is no different as I painstakingly felt every minute past by in this lacklustre horror.

When introduced to Alex and Lisa they are a playful and loving young couple, but they make questionable choices. One of these choices is choosing to stay the night with Alex’s distant Cousin Glen, who neither of them had met prior, a decision that would permanently impact their relationship.

But with this bad decision came the only time the film had anything which resembled horror due to Glen’s cold and creepy demeanour. This is also when we are introduced to the spirit that will plague the rest of their journey.

I’m not the only one who questions the couple’s decisions as Lisa is constantly scolded by her mother and friend Justin for hers. Justin blames Lisa often for allowing herself to be mistreated by Alex and other boyfriends in the past, while her mother is worried about her daughter’s lack of ambition (which doesn’t extend to her pizza toppings), as she plans to teach middle school for the rest of her life. This concern, the same one that follows Ally on the sitcom Dave, is one I struggle to understand. What’s wrong with being a teacher for the rest of your life if it’s what you enjoy?

Additionally, I don’t understand the persistent use of flashbacks to show something that happened less than half an hour ago in the film. I’ll be the first to admit that my memory can be terrible at times, but writer and director Omar Naim should give his audience more credit to remember pivotal scenes without a guiding hand.

Showing the past didn’t always detract from the film as the beginning scene establishes the havoc that the demon has wreaked on lives for years as well as opens the door for suspense which is quickly shut in the modern day.

Becoming is well, unbecoming. The film nothing remarkable or memorable about it and that is what's truly terrifying.