Taped (2011)

Directed by: Diederik van Rooijen | 81 minutes | thriller | Actors: Barry Atsma, Susan Visser

The concept of Diederik van Rooijen’s film ‘Taped’ is of course very strong: the viewer witnesses an intimate home video recording of a few friends (or, in this case: lovers), when suddenly something shocking is recorded in the background. which was not counted on and from which there is no escape. Because the viewer is made part of the personal lives of the main characters through the realistic video registration from the start, a strong bond is created and a high degree of involvement in the events in their lives. Then, when the characters are dragged into their nightmare, the viewer feels like they’re just as trapped as they are, and about as invested in a happy ending. We’ve already seen this approach work well in films like ‘The Blair Witch Project’, ‘Rec’, and ‘Cloverfield’, where even supernatural or monstrous situations proved more accepting due to the direct form. ‘Taped’ has a more mundane approach, bringing the presented horror even closer, and apart from some derailments and “short-cut” moments, the film proves to be quite effective in creating a haunted and captivating atmosphere.

That the idea of ​​this high-concept film is strong and has international potential is already apparent from the purchase of the film rights by the American film company Columbia Pictures. The trailer of the film alone made many interested parties sit up. This kind of horror is of course very recognizable and responds to not too deeply dormant fears of humans. Continents like South America do not do well in the media in the field of security and crime anyway and it is therefore a real nightmare to be confronted with (for you) life-threatening crime in such an area. If there is also the possibility that you will never leave (because of stolen passports), you have the feeling that you have ended up in some kind of hell on earth.

But the beginning is creating a bond with the main characters, something that is forgotten in many films, and where ‘Taped’ succeeds very well. This is largely due to the empathetic performances of Barry Atsma and Susan Visser, whose faces (alternately) show pain, anger, love and fear, and which the viewer, even at moments when the screenplay fails a bit, involving the viewer emotionally in the events. Very strong in this case is the scene in which Johan (Atsma) and Saar (Visser) have a telephone conversation with their daughter, in which they try to have a conversation as cheerful, everyday as possible with suppressed sadness and despair. The scene comes at a time when the film as a whole has burned out a bit, but the actors manage to attract attention again surprisingly well. Also cleverly done are the monologues by Atsma and Visser, which serve as personal confessions for the home video intended for their daughter. It must be difficult to communicate these kinds of deep-seated frustrations and feelings in a credible way – where pain, sadness and happiness follow each other in a short time – but the actors do both very well.

An effect of the realistic shape and setting is that everything can be placed on a magnifying glass. The inevitable – and desirable – question is, of course, “what would I do in such a situation?” and it is very likely that lively discussion will ensue after seeing the film. A disadvantage of this fact is that implausible, contrived scenes that might be more easily ignored in a conventional fiction film, here detract from the realism of the film. It is therefore regrettable that ‘Taped’ is not completely boarded up and allows itself here and there slightly too “cinematic” or clichéd excursions.

It is of course easy to explain everything under the guise of “in a stressful situation you do strange things”, but the two lose sight of each other a lot. For example, Saar leaves Johan in an office to get (medical) help, after which he does not wait for her to return, but starts wandering around looking for her. And when he has just rescued her from the clutches of a sadistic Argentinian (announcing himself loudly, and without taking any available weapons with him) and put her down somewhere to grab some important things herself, she is of course gone again a moment later. Then she hangs up again and starts whining about their relationship problems. Okay, she may be emotional and in shock, but it does get very tiring after a while. It’s a bit like Kim Bauer being kidnapped over and over in the first season of “24”. At some point, the stretch and tension will be gone. Also, the credibility of some tense scenes (or a dramatic one, like the very last of the film) unfortunately leaves something to be desired and it’s a shame that the bad guy has really become a movie villain, who keeps coming back and on almost every corner of the world. the street is waiting for our friends again.

‘Taped’ also does a lot of good and the film is, on the whole, an exciting and sometimes very oppressive experience that you will often think about or talk about. In this way, the viewer continuously has a restless, unsafe feeling in the film. At a scene in which the Argentine agents reunite the separated pair and stand around them laughing sarcastically while Johan and Saar fly into each other’s arms, the shivers run down your spine, and when they are no longer in the hospital. being able to cope with the approaching officers, the claustrophobic, life-threatening feeling is palpable. Fortunately, it was also decided at the right time to switch off Johan and Saar’s camera as the lead camera for the film and switch to a “third party” camera that observes everything, including with a handheld camera. With many of these types of films, a justified criticism is whether you should continue to film all the horrors instead of running away and doing everything you can to save your own life. Fortunately, in addition to a few lesser ones, ‘Taped’ also makes many good choices and is ultimately an effective, original thriller that remains excellent to watch due to a strong starting point and skilful interpretations.