Obscure Movie Review "Pin"

I saw this movie on Netflix’s “Watch Instantly” recently and was surprisingly riveted to watch the entire thing. This isn’t my usual mode. I have a low tolerance for new horror in general and usually become distracted within minutes. This time, I settled in with no distractions and watched it without pause.

The film was made in 1988, so I’ll give it credit for that. (It was some time in the 90s when horror went seriously downhill). This one had some originality and forethought. It was very well acted and very well filmed. I was surprised by the quality of it because I had never heard of this film before and I usually follow the progression of any new horror movie.

It takes place in small town in what appears to be the 70s/80s time period. A father is a doctor and has a life-sized doll used for medical education. It sits in his family clinic and he does a ventriloquist voice for the doll named “Pin.” His son and daughter come to think of Pin as a family member. The son, however, truly believes him to be a family member. With an obsessive-compulsive cold mother and an emotionally detached and rigid father, the children don’t have a chance of a normal upbringing. When the parents pass on, the son moves Pin into their mansion and the disturbing changes begin.

This was original and fresh and I really liked that you just wonder if Pin is alive or not. It’s disturbing and strangely nostalgic with the old-fashioned home and the old-fashioned upbringing of the children. It’s suspenseful enough to keep you going and you feel like you spent over an hour peeking into someone’s window in Middle America where all the weird sh@# goes down!

p.s. If you like this movie, I’d suggest “Psycho,” “Dead Silence,” and “Magic.” They have a similar feel and theme.

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