It isn’t a surprise that found footage films are so prevalent in the independent film scene. They’re relatively inexpensive to make, given that they can be captured on recording devices like an iphone, and the necessity for precision is thrown out the window. The problem comes with the fact that there are now so many movies within this genre, it’s difficult to make one that’s original. The Death of April, written and directed by Ruben Rodriguez, shoots its shot at found footage uniqueness with a distinct narrative approach.

Filmed back in 2012, The Death of April tells the story of college student Meagan Mullen (Katarina Hughes), who moves from her family home in California to the East Coast to take a teaching job. Homesick, but excited about her new adventure, Meagan decides to keep a video blog of her day to day activities in her new apartment and city in order to keep her family updated on her life. 

What sticks out immediately and sets The Death of April apart from others within the genre is that it’s presented as more of a mockumentary, with interviews of Meagan’s family and friends that feels as though you’re watching an episode of Dateline. The story unfolds between clips of these interviews and Meagan’s blog, and does so seamlessly in a way that grabs your attention and invests you in the plot.

It’s evident based on the interviews alone that something sinister has happened to Meagan, and the movie works backwards to the beginning of her move to allow the audience time to digest it all. We get a clear picture for the type of person Meagan was, both from the words her loved ones use to describe her, as well as her personality shining through in her recorded videos. Though she’s characterized as a fun-loving, joyful, kind person, her demeanor is put to the test once she settles into her new life. 

Strange occurrences begin to take place inside her apartment, starting slowly and ambiguously and then ramping up in intensity, as is common in stories like this. We see this play out both from her video footage and from the interviews, which offers a jarring juxtaposition between Meagan’s fear and alarm, and her loved ones’ resigned sadness. 

Convinced her apartment may be haunted, Meagan begins doing research on the building, and discovers that the former occupant of her place, a college girl named April, died under mysterious circumstances. Her findings become more dire once she uncovers startling similarities between herself and April, all while unexplainable supernatural events take place inside her apartment. Her once content lifestyle begins to come apart at the seams, as her sanity, and her relationships, begin to be tested.

The Death of April is a classic case of a good idea not getting adequate legs. The stylistic mockumentary narrative feels fresh and intriguing, and promptly pulls you into the story, but then subsequently becomes plodding and anticipatory. You’re given pieces of the story and what happened to Meagan, but there’s an incessant implication of something much more sinister that took place, which ends up becoming the main problem of the film. 

There’s a lot of build up with a very brief, unsatisfactory end result. The vast majority of the movie is spent leading the viewer to believe they’re going to get a conclusion that has both depth and scares. Instead, the climax is rushed, with very little time spent overall on what the entire premise is based on. 

The performances of the cast does bring its own sense of captivation, particularly with Hughes’ convincing and emotional portrayal of a young woman trying to hold it all together. It’s just a shame she wasn’t allowed to fully show off her acting prowess to really drive home the overall message, and events, that The Death of April implies. 

          5.5 Out Of 10