App (2013) Reviews

• Cool tech, okay acting by Hannah, weak plot

  imdb-216852013-04-22

  I think the director got a little too much carried away with the second screen technology. Even though the film is targeted at teens, the plot is just too thin. A few examples of this below, but mind the spoiler alert... ---spoiler alert--- It's absolutely not credible that a doctor would use software from some hacker to spy on people and put it into the body of a paralyzed person to make him walk again. If it is so obvious that an app is taking over your life and killing people, anyone would simply turn of the phone, take out the battery or just throw the phone in the water. But no, our lead character decides to actively use the deadly phone throughout the movie. Why would an app know how to kill someone who is swimming in a pool by turning on an analogue radio that is positioned next to a pool on top of a be able to turn on a radio on top of a scaffold? If someone just threw 2 liters of boiling water over your face, would you be able to drive a car and chase another person, only 15 minutes later?

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• A Horror Film About Apps? Great Concept.

  gavin69422014-06-09

  A young psychology student is drawn into the dark and fearful world of a diabolic and mysterious App that starts to terrorize her, distributing compromising photographs, videos and text messages about herself and delves deeper and deeper into her personal life, flawlessly exposing all of her deepest secrets. Absolutely worth singling out is Herman Witkam, the film's composer. Despite his lengthy credits, Witkam is not well known (at least not in America), but should be. He provides a score that is both unique and energizing, and fits the film's theme perfectly. The general idea is brilliant, especially as apps become more advanced and our privacy gets thinner and thinner through social media. This is truly something that needs to be seen by more viewers.

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• Decent thriller with some good ideas

  TdSmth52015-02-15

  In the intro, a girl drives home. She turns on her cellphone and checks her voicemail. Suddenly she stops the car and walks in front of a train. Next we meet Anna. She's a college student. She takes classes in neuropsychology and philosophy. She has a brother who was in an accident and is paralyzed but is starting to walk. The Dr. wants to implant him with a device close to the spine which will read his movements, predict what he might do next and stimulate the spine accordingly. And this can be monitored remotely. The brother would be the first person to get this implant. Anna's best friend is Sophie, who one night invites Anna to a party. It turns out one of Anna's exes is now living in the complex and is throwing a party. Anna runs into him and things are a bit awkward. He's a computer genius trying to work on applications for medicine. The day after the party, Anna's agrees to install an app called Iris. That's Siri backwards, or is Siri Iris backwards? The app offers to answer questions. But it also is a very annoying app, constantly demanding Anna's attention. During philosophy class covering Descartes, the app helps Anna get out of trouble. But suddenly a video of Sophie having sex at the party is sent to everyone coming from Anna. So Sophie is very angry at Anna. During philosophy class a video is shown on screen of the professor getting involved with a male student for better grades. The professor takes his life front of everyone, after he tells them to take out their phones and film it. Anna decides to return the phone and get a new one. After she leaves the store, it explodes. On the new phone, Iris appears... Now Sophie becomes Iris's target and Anna has to rush to save her. Next is her brother. While watching a video of the party, Anna discovers who installed the app and when she confronts the person we find out what is going on. If you're annoyed by people constantly messing around with their cellphones then App is going to be annoying at first, as the girls here, just like their real life counterparts, care about nothing more in life than paying attention to whatever is going in with their cellphones. There's a veiled criticism of that sort of life in this movie but it should be more overt. In fact Iris could be much more powerful given the capabilities that apps have these days, and integration with the 'internet of things' could make it far more deadly. Perhaps that something for part 2. Or a Hollywood remake. That part of the story is strong. But the problem here are the characters with little personality. Anna is pretty and smiles a lot, but aside from that she's not particularly interesting. It's perhaps surprising that this theme is used for a movie first in the Netherlands. I imagine we'll be seeing lots more of these kinds of movies. Just wait until those POV-directors discover this idea... App is a short movie with a good story, it just needed more development, more character development, more personality, a brighter look.

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• Well-Done Look At Our Future?

  paulwetor2014-05-22

  The other reviewer felt this movie was far-fetched, but I feel just the opposite. It's like Hal 9000 and Siri and viruses and artificial intelligence all coming together. Even now, after I look up an item on Amazon.com, ads from that company follow me from web site to web site. Apps can control devices in your home. Add some AI apps to that and you might get an app that decides it's not really you trying to get into your garage. Throw in some spyware and you could be watched inside your own house. Anybody ever have adware/spyware that would not allow itself to be deleted? My brother had one of those. Ever had your computer held hostage by someone who wanted money or else your files would be encrypted? A former co-worker had that happen. Your cell phone tracks your location, your preferences, and your buying habits. Facebook wants access to your personal data, as does Google (which makes the Android software in your phone, how convenient). I'm not trying to be paranoid, but (spoiler alert) it was chilling when Iris (Siri spelled backwards) listed the date of a person's death while that person was still alive. The irony is that this movie comes with an app that can run alongside the movie. But after watching the movie, there's NO WAY I'm downloading that app.

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• first second screen flick and it do works perfect

  trashgang2015-05-11

  I had seen App without the app you had to install, yes, this is an interactive flick. You have to install the app available in the stores for free to have a second-screen movie, the first one ever. I never tried to see it with the app because a lot of viewers did say on forums that the second screening wasn't working, guess why, the downloaded the movie. At a convention I found the Blu Ray and thought to give a try with the installed app. And yes, it do work but be sure to turn off your sound and micro on and do pump up the volume of your surround, because the app do work on sound. Is it worth seeing with the app, does it add something special towards the story. Towards the story it do add extra text or messages on your device. Here and there you will see another POV or you can see what is happening off-screen so yes it do works flawless. And luckily enough the story isn't that bad at all. I can't say that it is really a horror, but I watched it with my 13 year old daughter and she jumped here and there throughout the flick. It offers suspense it clocks in at 73 minutes which is perfect for a story like this, nowhere I had a boring moment. App is ideal for teenagers with their social media world. Gore 0,5/5 Nudity 0,5/5 Effects 4/5 Story 3/5 Comedy 0/5

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