Watching movies with marketing campaigns more focused on the big-shot director producing the picture instead of the film’s actual cast and crew is always a gamble. After all, Steven Spielberg himself produced Michael Bay’s Transformers, and we all know how that affected blockbuster filmmaking in Hollywood. With Nick Simon’s The Girl in the Photographs, however, we are presented with an enjoyable slasher/thriller that almost manages to live up to its legendary producer’s name. That name, of course, is the late Wes Craven.

The Girl in the Photographs stars Claudia Lee as Colleen, a young woman targeted by vicious psychopaths that leave her horrific photos of their previous victims. When the local police force refuses to investigate, believing that the photos are some kind of sick prank, Colleen turns to the eccentric photographer Peter Hemmings, played by Kal Penn, and his crew. However, Peter is actually in town for a gruesome photo-shoot meant to upstage the killers, as he sees their work as an artistic threat.

It’s a decent enough set-up for a horror movie, but there’s not much here to make the film stand out from other, similar features. The Girl in the Photographs is dedicated to Craven, but doesn’t carry much of his influence in either story or presentation. Although the characters are interesting enough, and Lee makes for a compelling protagonist, clichés are rampant, and the killers don’t do enough to appear menacing. The photography element does add some depth to the story, and at least makes for some interesting visuals, but ultimately doesn’t add up to anything important.

A large, talented cast is part of what makes the film effective, as actors like Kal Penn make even the most despicable characters entertaining to watch. Not to mention the always-welcome Katherine Isabelle in a minor role, and the underrated Mitch Pileggi as an incompetent sheriff. The antagonists are where things fall apart, though. Luke Baines and Cory Schmitt appear to be great actors, but the script never gives them a chance to prove themselves. This leaves most sequences lacking in the scare department, as even suspenseful and talented direction can’t make uninteresting villains scary.

That being said, Simon certainly has a knack for visual storytelling, and is capable of delivering satisfying chills without the use of an obnoxious film score or even loud noises to surprise the audience. The way the killers move in the dark, along with a steady camera that produces suspense through expectation instead of cheap tricks is heavily reminiscent of John Carpenter’s work, which is always a good thing. With a better script, these directing talents may yet catch us off-guard in future horror movies, as this is only the second feature that Nick’s directed.

Craven’s involvement with the film ends up being bittersweet, as fans will rejoice to know that his last credited feature wasn’t a bad movie by any means, it just can’t compete with many of his previous productions. In any case, The Girl in the Photographs should be judged by its own merits, and even though it’s not high art, it’s a competent slasher with a few genuinely unsettling scenes, perfect for popcorn-fueled late night viewings. In the end, Nick Simon’s greatest mistake wasn’t actually his doing, as his producer left him with some big, scary shoes to fill.