It is not a total disaster, I mean the movie has a crazy plot and it goes slowly. I was expecting (from some very optimistic reviewer here) something really original, scary and unpredictable.It turned out to be original, but that's all for what its worth it. The acting is average at best. Around 3/4 of the movie I began to figure it out, and the result wasn't as unpredictable as I was expecting. There are some violence parts, but really nothing to be scared of. So I could not rate this movie as horror; probably an insane thriller is where it belongs to.It is a shame because the idea probably with a better plot and direction could be a good thing, but it is not.I stress you not to waste your time and look something else. I gave it a 3/10 because it could have been worse.

First of all, the first two reviews sound like they were written by teenagers with short attention spans, who were looking for a cookie-cutter horror movie. Sadly, that's who most horror/sci-fi films are made for. My review will probably be more relevant for intelligent adults who enjoy original and engaging films. My high rating is due to the originality of concept, the visual execution of story, and very solid acting.My biggest pet-peeves are plot-holes and clichés. Modern horror and sci-fi films are usually riddled with them. This movie is congruent and mysterious, with no clichés. It is a slow creeper, with genuinely unnerving scenes. There is realistic, scary violence. I wanted to look away, because I felt like I was watching real human evil, not another corny slasher scene. The screenplay jumps around in time, but anyone with half a brain will easily follow. Midway, it all starts to come together. I like films like this because they don't spoon-feed you the plot with dialogue or cliché. If you pay attention and think, you will feel a building sense of understanding. This is much more rewarding for the intelligent film buff. The direction, cinematography, and special effects are great. Nowadays, CGI is often used to compensate for a weak cast, story, and direction. This film doesn't need much, except for some cool dream/hallucination sequences. The only special effects used to great...er, effect. They are done the old-fashioned way, but I actually felt scared. Once again, we see that you don't need a blockbuster budget, or pretty faces with limp lines and empty emotion, to make a great film. The lead actress does a GREAT job playing her role. I believed her and empathized with her in every scene. The same goes for the peripheral characters, although the therapist seems a bit flat and inauthentic, but there is a REASON for that, as you'll see. The Scopia Effect slipped under the radar, but I'm glad I caught it. If you like original, subtle, creepy, and thought-provoking horror and sci-fi, definitely give this one a chance. It's well-worth a couple hours in front of your TV, and will leave you pondering the pain in your own life.Christopher Butler has another film coming out called Storm, and I will definitely check that one out too.

Basia starts remembering strange and disturbing things after her therapist guides her through a hypnotic timeline regression. Her new memories and waking hallucinations affect her job and personal life.The storyline repeatedly shifts between past and present time to reflect what's going on with Basia. It confused me because I didn't understand the connection between Basia and these past events. And after I did make the connection I was still left wondering why the characters from past times all died in similar ways. There's also no explanation how or why Basia's therapist is involved outside the therapy sessions.The movie was confusing at first and, while it was, kept my interest. After I was able to grasp what the memories represented there wasn't anything more to keep my interest, but I watched to the end anyway. I thought the ending was both dissatisfying and hopeless.

I had to wait until half way thru to see Basia naked which is most likely the only thing this movie had which made it worthwhile to strain thru it. Unfortunately it was a very vague naked scene and the director missed a global opportunity to get his film up to a level 3. Seriously people, I love the Euro art film stuff but this was painful, not because it lacked some ideas but because the timing was so terrible. It took ten times longer to get to a point than it was necessary to torture the viewer. Why does it happen so often that film makers think they have to labor the point to this level of excruciating nausea. It does not add to the quality and in fact destroys it. Learn from it people. In regards to the time jumps to various weird places. That really annoyed me as they just did not add up at all. So to the acting. Basia did a reasonable job but it must have been very difficult for her to keep an interest. How many times does one have to act madness before one starts to crack up laughing. I give her ten points for effort but she did lose the quality and that would have happened to Merryl Streep if she was forced to endure this directorial script nightmare. So go watch it but take some stimulant before you do. A full bottle of strong vodka or something else that takes your fancy and also take a tablet with a better film on it so while you are waiting for something to happen in this mess you can at least watch something else. PS The psychologist was a lame duck and the script written for him was an insult to the profession.