Solstice (2008)

Synopsis: Before going off to college, Megan (Elisabeth Harnois-Why is she not listed on the cover of this DVD? She is the lead of the movie) and her friends take one last summer trip to the bayou, despite the recent suicide of Megan's twin, Sophie. Soon, Megan feels Sophie's presence, and as the friends try to conjure up her spirit, the horror begins. Shawn Ashmore, Tyler Hoechlin, Amanda Seyfried, Matt O'Leary and Hilarie Burton also star in this thriller directed by Daniel Myrick (The Blair Witch Project).
My Review: I was expecting a real stinker-but ended up with a surprisingly good movie. Direct-to -DVD, the story is your typical ghost story (girl dies and comes back to haunt) with a twist at the end that may or may not get you. That said it never gets cheesy or campy. However the directing, editing and cinematography are really good and make up for the slow pace of the movie. Shot in the Louisiana swamps-the movie looks very beautiful. I loved the opening title sequence and really dug the soundtrack. I even liked the song that was played during the closing titles. Also I really enjoyed the acting. I thought the main girl (Elisabeth Harnois) did a great job (and she did double duty by playing twins!).
The Bad: I would have enjoyed seeing some better looking guys since the twinks they had were shirtless in several scenes (Matt-some people should stay covered up!), no major scares, profanity was at a low and gore was non-existent. I expect gore and blood in a horror movie-but I guess this was more of a thriller. Like I said-I was expecting the worst but was pleasantly surprised. Solstice is no Blair Witch, but I was entertained and I would definitely recommend a viewing.
Movie Rating: 3.5/5