A good-hearted liberal doctor sees insanity as a mere fixation, and his patients as extended family. You’d think his being hacked to death might give his successor pause to reconsider this little theory, but no. Things are still run according to the doctor's wishes. In fact, a new nurse he hired before his demise has just arrived for work.

This film is very odd. You see, it’s not very good. Not very good by any means. And yet, I feel the need to recommend it. Why? To quote Stan and/or Kyle; Because I learned something today. I learned that a film may be terrible from an artistic standpoint, and yet still be disturbing as hell. And for all its shortcomings, 'Don't Look in the Basement' (aka, 'The Forgotten' ) is pretty damn effective.

Disturbing is about the best word I can come up with for this film. Shots linger too long, the insane stare without purpose; the whole thing is a double helping of creepy smothered in surreal sauce. The entire production with its amateurish panache and pull no punches attitude is very reminiscent of early Wes Craven. (Frankly, I find Craven extremely overrated, and actually enjoyed this flick more than ‘Hills’ or ‘Last House’. But that’s just my weirdness.)

The acting is spotty, as one might expect, but better than you’d think for this type of el chepo product. Furthermore I feel that the lack of polish actually makes this cast all the more effective. While there are exceptions (the female lead started out rather weak) the odd, stilted demeanor of the players is well-fitting for portraying those deep in the mire of psychosis.

The film possesses not so much a plot as it does a series of things happening in sequence. There is a big twist or two coming at the end, (one of which is revealed in the first scene) so most folks won’t get bored. Unfortunately, the entire film just flies apart at the end. Not truly surprising, or even detrimental, but for me it was disappointing.

I’m sorry to cut this review so short, but a film like this just leaves one agape.
Depending on your inclination, ‘Don’t Look’ can either be uniquely disturbing, or a total waste of time. I can’t tell you that you’re going to enjoy it; I can only report that I was pleasantly surprised.