Unknown Visitor is an attempt at bringing newfound terror to the found footage genre in the form of video doorbells. The original idea was entertaining, but the slow pacing, awkward dialogue, and inconsistencies muddled the excitement and expectations I had for the film.

“After moving into a new house a young woman (Brittany Dunk), experiences a terrifying series of encounters with something evil. The whole nightmare is captured on her door camera.”

The idea of having Unknown Visitor take place through the lens of a “Ring doorbell-esque” video recorder was a brilliant and relevant choice. I am guilty of having done a deep dive into the “Creepy Ring Video” search on YouTube and I can confidently say these camera doorbells have captured some unsettling images in real life, so it was only a matter of time before someone was clever enough to make it into a movie. 

In addition to being a timely and original idea, the usage of the doorbell camera as the only camera eliminated the need for shot lists, multiple cameras, complex cinematography, etc. Unknown Visitor is a brilliant idea for a low-budget indie film and is proof that you don’t need a fancy camera to make a movie. Though it is a clever execution of a culturally relevant topic, Unknown Visitor suffers from too many other issues that prevent the film from reaching its full potential.

The overall pace of the film is slow. There are some thrilling sequences and jump scares to reinvigorate interest, but mostly the film maintains a slow and steady pace and lacks that delightful slow-burn effect that many found footage films have. After a while, the film starts to feel like it is just trying to fill space, making those few moments of excitement even more crucial.

Some of the dialogue felt forced and artificial. Some of it may have had narrative purposes to push the story forward or to establish some character development, but I am a firm believer in being able to “say it without saying it” and Unknown Visitor has a habit of saying too much. Not considering the dialogue, the story itself, and the character arcs are enjoyable and I think the film has a lot of potential. 

The biggest (and most consistent) flaw with this film was the continuity issues. For example, a sandwich makes its way onto the screen. Once it is used in the scene, it disappears and reappears several times throughout the film like a wonder bread genie trying to grant me wishes I didn’t ask for. Additionally, a water bottle, knife, and wine glass all seemed to change positions nonstop and not as a result of intention, but rather accidental omissions or inclusions. This is not a huge deal necessarily but to the detail-oriented (*raises hand*) this can be a bit distracting. 

Be prepared to suspend some disbelief. Since the film takes place entirely on the front porch through the lens of a security doorbell camera, this presents unique storytelling challenges. Everything happening in the film must magically decide to happen right in front of the camera so the story can move forward. Some of these sequences are at a minimum unbelievable and at a maximum completely outrageous. But as long as you can just accept that there is no story/life beyond the camera, then this shouldn’t be too much of an issue. 

The film is on the short side (about 52 minutes) but I think it could have been trimmed down even more. This would be an INCREDIBLE, short film. It’s a great storyline and plays on a fear a lot of people have. 

Overall Unknown Visitor has some things going for it. The FX makeup was good, the story concept was intriguing, and there were some decent tension sequences. But the awkward dialogue, continuity issues, and unrealistic event series may be enough for you to not open the door for this visitor. 

4 out of 10