Hangman (2015): A Home Invasion Thriller

The critics have given mixed reviews to the found-footage thriller Hangman, directed by Adam Mason.

The film begins with the Miller family returning from vacation to find their home broken into and ransacked by someone. As they settled in, reassured by cops that it could be a case of some teenagers wanting a place to party, they soon noticed that things were going missing from their home.

Hangman begins as a horror film, with some paranormal activity type presentation, and sets the stage very nicely for a terrorized family who is the victim of a psychotic killer. However, as you begin to wonder about the man’s motivations and see events through the eyes of the titular character’s cameras, director Mason somehow fails to add enough creepiness to the scene.

The film will undoubtedly make you wary, as any intrusion into someone’s privacy, especially by a mysterious and malicious visitor, is traumatic. The film begins with a happy family, and then the antagonistic character begins spying on every member of the family using his multiple cameras installed in every corner of the apartment. We probably needed a little more characterization at first so that we could sympathize with the victim more.

However, it’s possible that the director never intended to include a sympathy-driven plot or a story with a happy ending. If that’s the case, Hangman is a solid film for introducing a psychotic mind with no clear motivation. It’s almost the audience’s imagination that can make them uncomfortable while watching the intruder ruin a family’s life.

Nonetheless, because there is less thrill and horror, I would not recommend this to everyone. Anyone who enjoys suspense or anything spooky but not overly frightening on screen should watch this film. With a little more production value, this film could have been watchable by all. And, yes, the climax is rushed and not at all reasonable.