EVIDENCE is a found footage slasher film with a few twists that make it look nothing like its genre. It starts off with an elaborate post-disaster set-piece in which it appears a bomb has gone off or some such; the camera circles in a giant freeze frame of the aftermath in shots that reminded me of SWORDFISH and THE KINGDOM. Before long, a couple of investigators (a tough Radha Mitchell and a dishevelled Stephen Moyer) show up and discover that events leading up to the incident were recorded so they sit back and watch them play out.

When it comes down to it, EVIDENCE is fairly straightforward slasher movie. I've always enjoyed found footage films but the actual presentation of the footage is quite poor here, with an overwhelming reliance on 'damaged' footage effects leading to lots of loud crackling, some of which is presented as jump-in-your-seat scares. However, the death sequences are extremely horrifying without ever being 100% graphic, a good example of how horror isn't just about gore.

The material with Mitchell and Moyer feels somewhat extraneous, like it's just been included to pad out the plot, but I did like the resolution of the story and the hunt for the killer angle is quite interesting. There's a twist ending which feels pretty silly rather than believable, although former NEIGHBOURS actress Caitlin Stasey and Torrey DeVitto are both pretty good in their parts.

This is a somewhat interesting mystery as a who-dun-it as we piece together clues from found footage. Reese (Stephen Moyer) and Burquez (Radha Mitchell) exam cell phone camera and camera films of killings from a scene for clues. We know two people have survived the ordeal, but we are not allowed to know who they are until late in the film.

The plot does give you enough clues as to figure out the culprit, but also throws in some head fakes. There are things which I thought was just bad film making, such as who films someone burning them, but may in fact be a clue.

This isn't the greatest found footage film or mystery out there, but will do in a pinch as a rental. Fair acting and plot.

Parental Guide: F-bomb. No sex or nudity.

Hard-nosed detective Alex Burquez (a fine and credible performance by Radha Mitchell) and scruffy forensics expert Daniel Reese (a sturdy portrayal by Stephen Moyer) work together to figure out what exactly happened pertaining to a massacre at an abandoned gas station using only surviving video footage as the lone piece of strong evidence.

Director Olatunde Osunsanmi relates the gripping story at a constant pace, generates a considerable amount of tension, and maintains a tough grim tone throughout. John Swetnam's crafty script not only makes neat use of the found footage premise, but also provides some stinging social commentary on fame and the media as well as a real doozy of a surprise twist ending.

Mitchell and Meyer spar with each other well; they receive sound support from Torrey DeVitto as perky aspiring actress Leann Hoodplatt, Caitlin Stasey as Leann's sweet wannabe filmmaker gal pal Rachel Brodi, Noland Gerard Funk as smitten musician Tyler Morris, Harry Lenix as gruff bus driver Ben Tuttle, Dale Dickey as cranky old bat Katrina Fleischman, Svetlana Metkina as eager dancer Vicki Makarova, and Barak Hardley as nerdy tech Gabe Wright. Moreover, the viewer really gets to know the victims as distinctive and highly relatable people, which makes what happens to them that much more horrible and upsetting. The brutal violence packs a jolting punch because it's more implied than explicitly shown. Lukas Ettlin's sharp and dynamic widescreen cinematography gives this film an extra invigorating kick. An effective little nail-biter.