Too much of everything

Thanks for the memories!

It's funny, it's tense, it features two great performances from two actors and the director expertly creates a web of odd tension where you actually don't know what is happening for the majority of the run time.

It is an exhilarating, distressing, funny and profound film, with one of the more memorable film scores in years,

'The Sandman' drew me into seeing it, with a cool poster/cover, an slightly intriguing premise and as someone with a general appreciation for horror. That it was low-budget, which from frequent personal experience is rarely a good sign due to that there are so many poor ones out there, made me though apprehensive. It is sadly however yet another film seen recently, hence some reiteration because the exact same strengths and flaws those films have are present here, that to me was incredibly disappointing considering its potential which it doesn't do anywhere near enough with. 'The Sandman' is terrible, with a plethora of problems (huge ones too) and doesn't do enough with its potential, which was hardly small. There is next to nothing to recommend and it is a sleeper.Lets start with the positives. The scenery is atmospheric and spooky. Tobin Bell does his best.Unfortunately, the scenery is not done justice by the rather direct to video schlocky way it's shot and edited, it was very clear that the film was made in a rush with no care or enthusiasm. Going on further to the negatives, the story does feel paper thin, disjointed and over-stretched and some of it feels vague, under-explained in the last third where the film especially became duller, more predictable, more senseless and less scary. Too many characters are too sketchy and with nowhere near enough to make one want to endear to them. Their annoying and illogical decision making and behaviours frustrates.Making the film feel bland and forgettable with not enough heart put into it. The effects are ropy at best, the sound quality is obvious and utilised cheaply (being too loud in the build ups and people's reactions) and it's best not mentioning the uniformly lumbering and histrionic acting, especially one of the worst child performances ever.Dialogue can be stilted and rambling, with lots of clichés and no depth whatsoever, while the pace goes to a standstill very quickly and drags on forever with very little going on worth caring about, never recovering. Found too many the supposedly shocking moments not surprising or scary and the supposedly creepy atmosphere dreary, due to the excessive obviousness, a lot of dumb and vague moments and explanations and the lack of tension and suspense. Would not have minded the lack of originality (the film is extremely derivative and in a dumbed and watered down way) if the story and atmosphere were at least alright in execution, in reality they were both very poorly done.A lot of 'The Sandman' has underdeveloped plot elements and often nonsensical and confusing character motivations, while too many of the things to make you jump or shocked are far from creative or scary and are pretty tame. The ending makes the film finish on an incomplete and confused whimper.There is not enough threat, and what there is of it tends to be used poorly, it is completely unimaginative and more odd than creepy in its execution of the more psychological elements, completely failing to show any sense of horror or creativity. Some badly sagging momentum too. The direction is leaden, inexperience seems to be all over the film, and the music doesn't really fit.Altogether, another very bad film. 2/10 Bethany Cox

This is a fairly decent SyFy flick. Madison (Shae Smolik) we discover has telekinetic powers and is able to create a nightmarish Sandman to protect herself from those that would do her harm She winds up in the custody of her aunt (Haylie Duff) who attempts to help and protect her. The film reminded me a bit of "Fire Starter" although the acting and writing was a notch below.

The Scyfy channel don't do horror originals very often, and that's a shame because more often than not when they do they're quite good.The Sandman is somewhat similiar to Before I Wake (2016). It tells the story of a girl with telekinetic powers who has somehow brought The Sandman into reality who kills anyone that threatens her.Starring Haylie Duff (Who is far better than I expected), Tobin "Jigsaw" Bell and Paul Logan (Though he may as well not have been cast) this horror effort once again shows that Scyfy should should do more horror.With a great looking beastie, decent performances and a well delivered concept this was a lot of fun. It's ending is a tad sudden and it's not overwhelmingly original but it's forgiven due to it's decent entertainment value.The Good:Sandman looks and sounds greatTobin BellThe Bad:Very sudden endingOne very bad cgi sceneCouple of bits were never explainedThings I Learnt From This Movie:Instead of renewing their access to shows like Xena & Wonderwoman the Scyfy channel should use that money to make more horror originalsI want a Sandman bodyguard!

I'll be honest, I'm dying to binge season two of "Stranger Things" and I decided to watch this because the preview looked similar."The Sandman" tells the story of a young girl (the amazing Shae Smolik) who goes to live with her aunt (Haylie Duff) when her father dies. Little does her aunt know that the girl has an ability to, as she puts it, "make things happen." One of these things is that she manifests the vicious Sandman whenever she is threatened. It's not long before the body count starts climbing and the aunt wonders who or what it is exactly that she's brought into her home.Much like "Stranger Things," this movie is a genre stew made up of a variety of influences, from Stephen King to Steven Spielberg to James Cameron, and even "Stranger Things" itself. It's impossible to look at the little girl and not think of Eleven, who also had a psychic connection to a nasty monster. There's even a blatant "Twilight Zone" reference that provides one of the film's only laughs.However, the movie really does make these elements into a satisfying whole, constantly taking twists and turns so things never get predictable. The writers and director do a good job blending family drama, horror, and even action, into something that feels wholly unique. The cast is solid. Haylie Duff brings the heart as a woman struggling to overcome low expectations and become a good mother figure for the troubled girl. Tobin Bell plays a suspicious agent- type who may or may not be a villain. It was great to see Amanda Wyss, from Nightmare on Elm Street, again facing off against a dream-based creature. But the real standout remains Shae Smolik, who glides with ease between being a victim, a heartbroken innocent, and a vengeful threat.Unusual for Syfy, the production quality was good too. Fantastic cinematography keeps it looking like a notch above. There's a heavy reliance on practical FX… from the stunning creature design to a few gruesome kills (one memorable gory moment involves a spinal cord), which work very well. Even the CG, minimal as it was, was above par for this type of film.My only complaint would be that the movie feels a little rushed. The ending is too abrupt and would be better with an epilogue or something. It almost feels like they ran out of time or money.Still… if you're a child of the 80s like me, and want to see a modernized dark take on those old, great Amblin films… this one's for you. At least, until season two of "Stranger Things" starts. Leggo my eggo!