Kicking off my coverage of this year’s Fantasia International Film Festival is the latest film by writer and director Calvin Lee Reeder (The Oregonian), The A-Frame. This horror sci-fi mash-up introduces audiences to Donna, a musician with a recent cancer diagnosis that threatens to take her hand. Faced with an impossible decision, she meets a quantum physicist who claims he can cure her cancer, but is he really a savior or a mad scientist?

The most compelling aspect of The A-Frame is how it conveys people at different stages of their cancer diagnosis and the various ways they deal with their diagnosis. Donna is someone who just got her diagnosis, and not only has a short amount of time to process this news, but she also has almost no time to accept what must be done to keep the cancer from spreading. We see others with more deadly diagnoses, some who have accepted their fate, while others use denial and humor to cope. It allows the audience to get a sense for how the characters are feeling when faced with their own mortality. More importantly, it conveys how desperate one might become in order to survive. If someone feels like they have nothing to lose, they would be more likely to try anything, even if it meant only a slim chance of living. In comes the mystery scientist to make all their dreams come true. This man has built a machine that supposedly removes all traces of the cancer. While this man’s motives seem altruistic, The A-Frame immediately highlights the less than ethical methods he takes. It keeps the audience wondering if he truly wants to help these people and cure their cancer, or if he’s taking advantage of people who feel they have no other options.

The plot is interesting enough, however, it does feel quite surface level. This can be seen both in the characters and in the science. Donna, specifically, feels underdeveloped. Most of what we get is simply her emotions related to having cancer, which explains some of her actions but not others. The physicist also has a fairly shallow characterization, but in this case it works a bit better because he is a mysterious man. Not knowing his real background adds to the suspense and shrouds all of his decisions in secrecy. Then there is the science behind The A-Frame. While the initial surface explanations make enough sense to appeal to the average viewer, as things get more deadly, there is a noted lack of explanation. It will likely leave many audience members with lingering questions, wishing the science had been more sound rather than just being used to add horrors to the plot.

Though small, the cast of The A-Frame all deliver great performances. Dana Namerode (What Josiah Saw) stars as Donna. Despite the character being written in a way that doesn’t allow for much depth, Namerode does well with what she is given. Where she really shines is when the situation gets most dire and Dana realizes how her actions impact those around her. Johnny Whitworth (Empire Records, Limitless) stars as the quantum physicist, Sam. Whitworth is a definite standout, portraying Sam with a casual confidence that makes him seem trustworthy. It makes the moments when Sam’s ego and hubris take over all the more chilling. Other great performances come from Nik Dodani (Twisters) and Laketa Caston (Rotten).

For such a low budget indie film, The A-Frame manages to pack a punch with the visuals. The technology itself has a simple yet stylish look that works well within the budgetary constraints. Gore fans will also appreciate a couple of scenes that includes copious amounts of blood, guts, and ooze. There are even a couple instances of practically created creatures that look goopy and add to the horror of this bizarre science experiment. Yet while the gore, sets, and props all look great, the real highlight is some fascinating editing. Early on Sam mentions the idea of other dimensions. This is carried throughout the film by having mirrored, overlapping images on screen. Sometimes this is shown, along with plenty of red lighting, to visualize the machine working, while at other times this mirroring is used on landscapes between scenes. It creates striking imagery that also hints to the lines between worlds colliding.

The A-Frame is an understated horror sci-fi tale of scientific discovery, unethical methods, hubris, and the quest for life in the face of death. Reeder has all the right pieces to create a fantastic film. The visuals are memorable, the performances are great, and it’s a story that is familiar without feeling overdone. What ultimately keeps The A-Frame from being great is the lack of depth, both for the characters as well as the science behind the film. Despite this, the film is still quite well done and is sure to make audiences keep an eye out for Reeder’s future films.

OVERALL RATING: 6/10