Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Stir of Echoes’

Written by Scott Edwards 

Opening doors for others is something that we should relish in, not be ashamed to do. I have prided myself on making other people’s lives better if it be at work or by just giving them a chance when others would not. You should not be afraid to be there for anyone that needs help taking their next step in life, cherish the opportunity since there are many out there that don’t want them to move on. But not all doors are meant to be opened, much less stepped through and if you open the wrong door for somebody, a door that they did not want, well, they will hold it against you forever.

Tom and Maggie have moved into their new home that is on the greatest block in Chicago. Their son Jake seems to like the move, especially since he has a new friend to talk to. Although Tom notices his son speaking to someone that is not there, he does not put too much thought into it since kids have invisible friends. But this friend is answering the difficult questions that Jake has and before too long, Tom will have to take notice. While attending a block party, Tom wants to prove his wife’s friend Lisa wrong when the conversation leans toward a debate about the power of hypnosis.

Sitting back and listening to everything that Lisa tells him to do, Tom falls into a deep sleep, but he is forced to wake up when he sees a frightening sight on his front porch. Not knowing what he saw, Tom and Maggie head home and when they start to make love, Tom's mind flashes disturbing images before him that leave him unable to finish. Heading downstairs to clear his head, Tom turns on the television and when he looks to his side, he sees a young girl sitting next to him. Not believing his eyes, he looks away and looks back and the girl is gone. Thinking that he is going crazy, Tom goes about his day thinking little about it, but the visions are coming in stronger and he knows he will have to find out what they mean.

When Maggie has a hard time finding a babysitter for her son, Jake gives her the name of a girl that works in the neighborhood. Not giving this much thought, Maggie is able to get Debbie Kozac to come over for the night and watch him. When opening the door, Tom has a vision that indicates that there is something wrong with this young woman. Almost getting into the concert, Tom has a bad feeling that there is something wrong at home and when he gets there, he sees that Jake has been taken. Finding the Debbie and his son at the train station, Tom sees that his dreams are more like reality and knows that there is something hidden within them. When at the next block party, Tom starts to ask around about Debbie’s missing sister, Samantha since he has seen her photo and knows who she is now. Little does he know that the missing girl has a more powerful effect on his neighbors, and he will be putting himself and family in danger when looking for her.

An interesting premise to say the least. When Tom is put under hypnosis, he is told that he needs to remain open to everything and that changes his life forever. The interactions between him and his son are more than bonding as they know something is amiss while Maggie does not believe them. It was remarkable to see how much Maggie did not want to believe what was happening and her running away did more good than she could possibly imagine. Jake however is the star of the show, since he knows what needs to be done and will do anything to help his father figure it out. I really liked the ending of the movie, since it tied everything together with a nice bow. Having a second sight is something that you might not want to take too lightly, since seeing things that nobody else can see can prove to be more valuable than many people give credit to. Stay Scared.

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