I love multiverse stories. I find the idea of ​​alternate realities incredibly fascinating, so films like coherence, Deadpool and WolverineAnd From the Beyond are right up my alley. I’m always ready to see a film that explores this mind-blowing concept, so when I first heard about the found footage film Hostile dimensionsit immediately caught my attention. It promised to take viewers on a scary adventure through a villainous multiverse, and I couldn’t wait to see what fun new worlds it would uncover.

Hostile dimensions was written and directed by Graham Hughes, and he also stars in the film alongside Annabel Logan, Joma West, Josie Rogers, Paddy Kondracki and Stephen Beavis. The story follows two filmmakers, Ash and Sam, who hear the confusing story of a missing woman named Emily. Apparently, Emily found a mysterious, freestanding door in an abandoned building and after going through it, she was never heard from again.

Now our main characters want to make a documentary about the case and try to find the missing woman. But when they open the door themselves, they get more than they bargained for. They discover that it is actually a portal to other dimensions, and after teaming up with a teacher named Innis, they experience a multiversal adventure like they never imagined.

Like most found footage films, this film stands or falls on the believability of its characters. These films have to convince you that you are watching real footage of real people and not a carefully written fictional story, and in that respect Hostile dimensions is a direct hit.

Granted, I wouldn’t necessarily call this cast Oscar-worthy, but they have an authenticity that more than makes up for the weaknesses in their performances. They manage to capture the flavor of real human interactions, so you’ll have no trouble accepting and rooting for these people right from the start.

Over and beyond Hostile dimensions also contains a hellish horror mystery. The film begins with Emily’s disappearance, and from the moment you learn her story, you can’t help but wonder what terrifying other dimensions are hidden behind that door.

When Sam and Ash get their hands on it, the movie gets even better. When they realize they’re dealing with a multiversal portal, they attach a camera to a remote-controlled toy car and send it through the door. And immediately after that thing crosses the threshold, writer-director Graham Hughes cranks the tension up to 11.

The door opens into what appears to be an abandoned children’s playground, which at first glance seems pretty harmless. But that’s exactly what makes it so terrifying. Since it’s an unexplored alternate reality, you have no idea what might be around the next corner, and that uncertainty is absolutely terrifying.

From there Hostile dimensions gets stranger and stranger, and with each new discovery, the mystery behind that door and the worlds it hides becomes more and more intriguing. Unfortunately, however, the film can’t sustain that appeal throughout its entire runtime. The story starts to slow down shortly after Innis comes into the picture, and to be honest, it eventually starts to drag a little.

This guy has heard of doors like this one and can answer some of Sam and Ash’s questions about them. And as is often the case, once you understand something, it becomes less interesting. To be honest, this part of Hostile dimensions still has its moments, like a scene where the characters enter a world with flying whales, but overall the second act is a noticeable step back from the first.

Thankfully, the film eventually picks up its pace and ends on a great note. The last 10-15 minutes or so are all about the film’s crazy premise and we finally get the globetrotting adventure that viewers are probably expecting.

And the final act of Hostile dimensions also explains a little about the nature and history of the door, but in a way that brings back some of the mystique the film lost in the second act. It introduces a cool Lovecraftian element that I really enjoyed, and if you’re a fan of that type of horror, you’ll probably like it too.

Last but not least, I would like to talk about the topics: Hostile dimensions. The film doesn’t beat you over the head with its message, but a clear point is made by the end. Sam recently lost her mother, so at one point in the film she is tempted to travel through the multiverse and search for a world where her mother is still alive.

I won’t tell you what she ends up doing, but suffice it to say that the film uses Sam’s grief to give its characters a choice. They can leave their universe behind and look for a better one, or they can stay in their own world and try to make it better, and the way I see it, that’s an allegory for a choice we face every day of our lives. While we obviously can’t escape to another dimension, we must choose whether to make our world a better place or turn our backs on the suffering we see around us.

If you haven’t noticed, I really enjoyed this movie. Sure, it’s not perfect, but overall the good far outweighs the bad. Hostile dimensions is a fun multiversal adventure with likable characters, a great horror mystery, and a really cool Lovecraftian dimension (pun intended!), so if you’re looking for some good new horror, I definitely recommend checking this film out.

Hostile dimensions will be released in theaters and on VOD on August 23rd.