Classic Horrors Club

21 Days (2014) is a found footage movie about a supposedly haunted house that doesn’t cover any new ground seven years after Paranormal Activity and near the end of its sequels that were still being made. It’s competent enough and has some scares, but the only thing unique about it is a trio of despicable filmmakers that you hope don’t survive. The worst is Jacob (Max Hambleton), who will risk his life and that of his two friends, Shauna (Whitney Noble) and Kurt (Mickey River), in order to guarantee a payday.

You see, nobody who has lived in the house on Cedar Rd. in Fillmore, California, has been able to stay longer than 21 days. It was built in 1890 on ancient Indian burial ground. That ultimately doesn’t seem to be any reason for the strange goings-on at the house, but it does provide a practical explanation for them: local Native Americans might be trying to scare residents out of the house to protect their land and beliefs. We never believe that, and I don’t think Jacob does, but it is the story he uses to reach the 21-day mark instead of fleeing from escalating danger.

We don’t know the details of the deal that’s so financially appealing to Jacob. I’m going to show my age and guess that all three are just acting their stereotypical millennial ages with little emotional intelligence. They’re very tech-savvy, though, placing cameras and EMF meters all over the house and out in the barn. Some of the things they witness and record could be due to a draft or temperature change, but I don’t think a heavy breeze could cause a full-sized coffee table to come flying through the air at them.

Shauna’s the first one to crack. It turns out she’s Jacob’s girlfriend and when he dismisses her, she leaves his bed to sleep with Kurt. That’s sleep-sleep, not what you may be thinking. Even when Kurt accidentally touches her rear end during the night, she slaps it away. It doesn’t take long for Kurt to challenge Jacob, but it’s long enough that Jacob can claim, “Come on, there’s only two days left” or “Come on, there’s only 6 hours left.” Plus, it’s not so easy for them to leave. They’ve had the doors and windows boarded to ensure they can’t get out.

There’s additional lore to the house. When its inhabitants leave, all the mirrors are found covered. Supposedly they’re the gateway for demons to possess your soul. Jacob, Shauna, and Kurt are so cocky, they immediately remove the covers when they enter the house. Also, children who used to live in the house suffer strange afflictions such as becoming mute and subsequently dying horrific deaths. It’s no wonder survivors won’t talk to the film crew. The one who shares a sincere, traumatizing experience? Jacob laughs at her.

When a rusty old scythe from the barn appears in the house, you hope it will be used to chop off his head. Instead, he grabs it and we’re left to assume (spoiler alert) that he instead uses it on Kurt. This is during the final hours and Shauna is under the bed praying. We can’t tell everything that’s happening; much of the “action” is in the dark. Like I said, it’s competently made by director Kathleen Behun, so the climax is harrowing. For the best scares, though, pay attention for things the audience sees, but the characters don’t.