Mention “found-footage horror” to most genre fans, and you’ll see them cringe slightly at the potential of wasting away through another 90 minutes of shaky camerawork, minimal plot, and questionable acting.  Born from indie filmmakers emerging from the spooky depths of the early internet days (remember when 1999’s The Blair Witch Project created such unnerving buzz?), the medium quickly devolved into cheap cash grabs that turned audience stomachs more than their heads. 

There have been occasional focused efforts to refine the grainy camera freak-outs in the ensuing years (Paranormal Activity), but the pandemic proved to be a healthy opportunity for creativity to flourish in this area.  Turning the internet back on itself, so-called screenlife horror became popularized, which is why we have the nail-biting fun of 2020”s Host, 2021’s Dashcam, and the two solidly entertaining Unfriended films to retreat to when we want to be fully immersed in horror.  Innovation continues to be a rarity several years removed from lockdown, but when you find it, as I did with the micro-budgeted Hostile Dimensions, you have to celebrate it.

A multi-verse thriller that has roots in the fringes of the creepypasta corners of the dark web, Hostile Dimensions has sprung from the mind of writer/director Graham Hughes.  Already familiar with this meta-horror through his previous film Death of a Vlogger, Hughes is back with a mind-bending thriller that pushes the boundaries of low-budget filmmaking.  Silly at times but also delivering a few deliciously shivery scares, Hughes has tamed this tricky beast into a fast-moving 80-minute ride that rarely slows down.

Documentarian Sam (Annabel Logan) and her filmmaking partner Ash (Joma West) are still stinging over the failure of their last project, an awful sounding look into the downfall of a children’s toy manufacturer.  While Ash would prefer to stay with more socially conscious material, Sam knows that to get their name out there, taking on a headline-grabbing subject will put them on the map.  That’s how she winds up talking Ash into investigating the disappearance of Emily (Josie Rogers), a graffiti artist who mysteriously vanished next to a freestanding door in a dilapidated building. 

Their pursuit of the truth takes them to the ominous entryway, a gateway to a labyrinth of terrifying alternate realities.  When Emily reappears, she only brings more questions, leading the three women to probe even deeper into theories of traveling between dimensions.  Connecting with conspiracy theorist Innis (Paddy Kondracki) and another man (a character I won’t reveal more about) with his freaky insights into the darkest portals of the web, they discover that by opening one door to distant terror, they’ve invited an even greater horror into their midst.

Hughes does wonders with his resources, proving that a limited budget should be no barrier to big ideas, delivering moments of genuine dread that go above and beyond.  Each dimension Sam and Ash encounter brings a new layer of terror, from a giant panda that looks innocuous to a rogue pyramid that appears out of nowhere.  Using practical effects to create a hokey but still chilling atmosphere, he embraces the rough edges, heightening the unease of the mystified characters in the process.  Like those unnerving YouTube videos The Backrooms (this is a rabbit hole you may not want to go down), it wields inventive camerawork to create otherworldly scenes.

The cast is uniformly strong, too, with Logan and West making a compelling duo at the heart of the story.  The concept of a believer and a doubter looking for the ultimate truth is old hat in narrative storytelling, but the actors give it a special degree of charm that keeps you engaged.  I also liked Kondracki’s staid intensity at the start, giving himself a wide runway to enjoy finding a kindred spirit in Sam, who accepts his feelings that there are forces out there seeking to collude with unseen entities. Hughes himself steps in for a role, adding a playful layer of self-awareness that doesn’t distract from the tense momentum being built.

There’s a general sense of resourcefulness in Hostile Dimensions that should impress any true film aficionado.  Apart from the rough practical effects that ground the story instead of distracting from it, the production uses its found locations to their maximum potential.  Abandoned buildings and forgotten spaces become malevolent characters through clever use of lighting and how the camera frames the action.  Each new dimension we enter feels distinct but disorienting, yet it remains completely cohesive.

I was truly surprised with how much I enjoyed Hostile Dimensions.  It has many familiar elements of found footage horror that have been done before but executed to much less successful results.  Hughes and his team have twisted a cinematic reality into a chilling and thought-provoking ride that shows what can happen when creativity meets constraints.  It’s a door you won’t want to close as quickly as it does – but be prepared for some nifty frights on the other side.