I am literally shocked at how low a rating this film has. Before I go on I want to mention that I actually really enjoyed this as a horror fan who has seen so much low budget crap lately. No film makers seem to know how use a low budget and still make a good solid movie like John Carpenter used to or people of his calibre. The film isn't perfect, some of it is laughable but that's par for the course when it comes to horror. The film is reminiscent of The Shining in some ways as we watch a man lose his mind and torture his own family. The performances in the film were first rate...I was extremely impressed with this small and very effective cast. The setting was brilliant, creepy and isolated and setting the tone. Perhaps the only complaint (but it is a pretty big complaint) is that you really have to suspend belief and ignore some massive plot holes to find it enjoyable. I know that is absolutely the cast with 99.9% (perhaps 100%) of horror films but I just felt like the script could have paved over those plot holes just a little bit better. Following the climax of the film into the last scenes it definitely treads on some cheesy moments but its so much fun and there is enough tension to keep it plugging along. This, in my opinion, was a solid slasher flick with some very different twists.
Jonathan Hansler is outstanding as Kurt Wendell who loses his job and literally spirals out of control until he is a sputtering, raving mad lunatic torturing his own family. His emotional spiral is fast but significant and really well done on his part. His wide eyed, creepy maniac is right up there with any great horror performance. Andrea Gordon is decent as his wife. She shows some great chops in the intense scenes during the climax and her chemistry with Hansler and the two actors playing her children is very good. Christopher Rithin is also very good as the meek and bullied son. He perhaps has the biggest range as a character next to Hansler but at the same time he also feeds a couple of the more cheesy moments in the film. He is still very good in his part. Nicola Posener plays the daughter and does so decently well. She is, in some ways, the weakest member of the cast if not just for the reason that her character has the least range from beginning to end. Her and Rithin have really great chemistry as brother and sister at odds and then working together to survive. In all honesty, this might be one of the strongest low budget casts in a horror flick I have ever seen.
It appears as though director and writer Ryan Lee Driscoll has a history in documentaries so this would be his first real foray into fictional film making and horror. I think he shows some incredible talent behind the camera and with the script. It isn't often you can find a unique horror film like this let alone one shot on a low budget that is entertaining and fun to watch. The plot holes that kept nagging at me were how long his family takes before actually trying to get away. I mean he is a middle aged, average shape joe and yet they don't even try to run or overpower him even after finding someone bound and gagged and cut up in their attic. He seems to gain on them no matter how badly hurt he is and no matter how fast they run. Its sort of typical horror movie plot holes but it still bothered me to some extent. I think some slight editing to the screenplay could have perhaps filled in some of these oversights. Regardless, if you like low budget horror than I think this one will really surprise you. For what it is and for what it was made for this one is a keeper!! Far from perfect and yet satisfying and well made. 7.5/10
Jonathan Hansler is outstanding as Kurt Wendell who loses his job and literally spirals out of control until he is a sputtering, raving mad lunatic torturing his own family. His emotional spiral is fast but significant and really well done on his part. His wide eyed, creepy maniac is right up there with any great horror performance. Andrea Gordon is decent as his wife. She shows some great chops in the intense scenes during the climax and her chemistry with Hansler and the two actors playing her children is very good. Christopher Rithin is also very good as the meek and bullied son. He perhaps has the biggest range as a character next to Hansler but at the same time he also feeds a couple of the more cheesy moments in the film. He is still very good in his part. Nicola Posener plays the daughter and does so decently well. She is, in some ways, the weakest member of the cast if not just for the reason that her character has the least range from beginning to end. Her and Rithin have really great chemistry as brother and sister at odds and then working together to survive. In all honesty, this might be one of the strongest low budget casts in a horror flick I have ever seen.
It appears as though director and writer Ryan Lee Driscoll has a history in documentaries so this would be his first real foray into fictional film making and horror. I think he shows some incredible talent behind the camera and with the script. It isn't often you can find a unique horror film like this let alone one shot on a low budget that is entertaining and fun to watch. The plot holes that kept nagging at me were how long his family takes before actually trying to get away. I mean he is a middle aged, average shape joe and yet they don't even try to run or overpower him even after finding someone bound and gagged and cut up in their attic. He seems to gain on them no matter how badly hurt he is and no matter how fast they run. Its sort of typical horror movie plot holes but it still bothered me to some extent. I think some slight editing to the screenplay could have perhaps filled in some of these oversights. Regardless, if you like low budget horror than I think this one will really surprise you. For what it is and for what it was made for this one is a keeper!! Far from perfect and yet satisfying and well made. 7.5/10