Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘They’

Written by Scott Edwards

Growing up, we always knew that there was a monster under the bed or hiding in the closet. Although our parents would try to talk us down from believing this, we still knew that they were there. When we got older and stronger, we would start to check these places out on our own and when we did not see them there, we believed that we were safe. But it could have just been that these creatures that haunted our childhood have moved on when we got bigger than them, or they could just have gone into hiding and are waiting for us to let our guard down.

Julia Lund is going to grad school to become a psychologist so she will be able to help people and has her final to worry about, but there is something else that is important to her, he boyfriend. When getting a call from Paul, the two head out for a great date night, but when things start to get interesting, Julia’s phone rings. Her old friend Billy is in a bad place and needs to talk things out with her before it gets worse. Julia cannot ignore her old friend’s cry for help and meets with Billy at the diner where he is holding up.

Listening to Billy, Julia believes that he is going crazy. Talking about the creatures that go bump in the night as being real and that these same creatures are the reason both of them suffered from night terrors, Julia wants to get him some help, but before she is able to leave the table, Billy shoots himself. Feeling sorry for her friend, Julia attends his wake and meets two more people that were friends of Billy’s. Sam and Terry have listened to his stories and believe that there is something to them and want Julia to join their team in proving that there is something coming after them. Julia is too caught up in what would happen if word got out that she was looking into her childhood fears, but her night terrors have come back to haunt her.

Knowing that there is something wrong with her, Julia asks for advice from the doctor that helped her through this phase when she was a child. Knowing that it sounds ridiculous, her doctor is the only one that will listen and help her follow through in solving her problems. While being haunted by something that has been gone for many years, Julia is losing sleep and becomes very short with everyone around her. Lashing out at her boyfriend for not believing her, there is nobody that will believe what she is seeing is real. Trying to find out more about what is happening to her, Julia reaches out to Sam and Terry for more advice, but when they are both found to be missing, Julia believes that what happened to her in her youth was real and has come back to get her.

This is a fun story if you did not experience night terrors when growing up. I am one that could never sleep, so I did not suffer from this, but now have an idea of what might happen. When Julia starts to experience this torment from her past, you have to feel for her, but when she lashes out at her loved ones over it, you can tell that there will not be anyone left to help her. Even though Paul loves her, he is driven away from helping her when she has to be the number one in all aspects of their relationship. I like what is hidden in the darkness, but I do not fully understand how they are able to come and claim their prizes. But that is the fun of the movie and when you are marked, there is no escape. Stay Scared.

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