Filmmaker Victor Hampson brings much-needed freshness to the found-footage genre as he plays himself in It’s John. I hope he’s OK. Two friends, Smithy (Victor Hampson) and Calvin (Dillon Harris), amateur filmmakers, embark on shooting a medieval fantasy movie titled Woodland Warriors in a secluded forest. Their story revolves around two brave knights, played by Calvin and Marcus (Christian Jegard), competing for the love of an elven queen, played by Leona (Rebecca Tromans).
While filming, they face humorous low-budget indie challenges, like simulating a horse chase without an actual horse. During a break, Smithy notices he has no cell signal and hears eerie sounds in the background, hinting at a sinister presence.
It’s John – Group photo 02 – Victor Hampson, Dillon Harris, Rebecca Tromans, Christian Jegard
“…stumbles upon a mysterious children’s book… the legend goes, can escape the pages…”
At their campground, the group stumbles upon a mysterious children’s book about a boy named John, who, as the legend goes, can escape the pages once someone has seen his picture. As they delve deeper, strange occurrences disrupt the production, with cast and crew members disappearing only to reappear mysteriously. The line between their movie’s plot and reality starts to blur, pulling the friends into an unexpected nightmare rooted in the book’s curse.
First, the casting and characterizations in It’s John are brilliant. As Smithy, Victor Hampson portrays an auteur filmmaker with a thick, slightly affected mannerism. Calvin is his hapless helper, while the strong Leona puts up with no s**t. And Marcus? They might as well have put him in a “red shirt.” This is the comedy.
On the tragic side, It’s John skillfully reinvigorates the genre. The effect is on the cheap, with video distribution used as transitions. But where It’s John succeeds is the creepy appearance of John and the sound design that accompanies his arrival. For a low-budget film, the creepiness and scares are effective. Watch It’s John with friends and in a very darkened theater.