Creature Feature

Saint Bernard (2013)

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Bernard has loved music his entire life. He grows up to be a composer. On the surface he has achieved his dream, but Bernard’s reality unravels right along with his mind.

In 2013, special effects master Gabriel Bartalos released a film he wrote and directed that was his second feature film, Saint Bernard. The film flew under the radar for most horror fans. Now, six years later, Severin is finally bringing it to blu-ray. The film focuses on Bernard, a composer who loses his mind as he turns to drugs and alcohol for comfort. While that plot sounds simple enough, it is shown in quite a unique way, primarily relying on visual metaphors. The film is very unique and strange in a way that almost makes it difficult to review.

From the very first frame, many viewers will likely wonder what the hell they are watching. It only gets more bizarre from that point on. There is a lot of commentary through the visual metaphors. The film touches issues such as drugs and alcohol addiction, religion, capitalism, childhood trauma, anxiety, depression, and much much more. Bartalos takes on a very surrealist approach to his film. It almost takes on the appearance of a Salvador Dali painting. There is a heavy reliance on imagery over substance from start to finish. Normally this would be an issue for me, but somehow it works very well in Saint Bernard. Many of the various elements seem random, but there is still a story hidden behind all of the strange and spectacular imagery.

With Bartalos’s background in special effects, it’s no wonder his film relies so heavily on different types of effects of set design. The film utilizes a mix of multiple different mediums. There are prosthetics, puppets, creatures, disturbing props, and CGI. All of these elements lend to the surrealistic appearance of the film and they are all beautifully done. One of the most memorable effect used is a Saint Bernard head. As the film goes on the head decays more and more. It is rather disgusting, but very well done. The sets are sometimes even more elaborate than the effects ranging from rotting buses, wood junkyards, and an outrageous police station. The effects and sets lend a tactile element to the film. You can almost feel the wood grains, the salted woods, and the rotting goo through the screen.

There are an odd range of performances in Saint Bernard. In one of his few leading roles, Jason Dugre (Moonbeams) plays Bernard. It is fascinating to watch Bernard as we see the world through his eyes. What is even more fascinating to to see Dugre convey Bernard’s shock, dismay, and confusion at the world around him while everyone else acts as though the world is as it should be. While it is a smaller role, I was thrilled to see Warwick Davis (Willow, Leprechaun) as Othello. He was the main draw for me when the film was brought to my attention, and he does not disappoint. As a whole, the cast is weird and wild in a way that fits perfectly with the tone of the film.

Saint Bernard is a weird fever dream that relies more on imagery over content, yet it works so well. If audiences are able to follow the outlandish metaphorical visuals, then there is still a complete story to be told in the film. While the performances are entertaining, the true star of the film is the fantastic effects and stunning set design. It is truly like watching a work of art. There is no doubt this film will polar audiences, but I highly recommend everyone watch it at least once just for the experience.

OVERALL RATING: 8/10

Saint Bernard is available for purchase here.

The Head Hunter

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In Medieval times, monsters roam free. After losing his daughter, a warrior makes it his life’s mission to kill as many monsters as he can. He has killed many monsters, but one still manages to elude him. His quest will not end until he collects the head of the monster who murdered his daughter.

The Head Hunter is a unique film. Director Jordan Downey (ThanksKilling) co-wrote the film with cinematographer Kevin Stewart (ThanksKilling). The collaboration between Downey and Stewart leads to some interesting filmmaking choices. The most unique aspect is the storytelling choices the duo make. The film starts with a bit of exposition through voiceover, revealing the warrior’s daughter was killed by a monster. After that there is virtually no dialogue moving the plot forward. Instead, the filmmakers rely on visual queues to tell the story.

As the film progresses it becomes clear that the warrior has become a literal head hunter. We know this as the audience because we see the warrior sharpen a stake for his wall, ride off ready for battle, and return with a monster head to adorn his wall. It also seems clear that a nearby kingdom is giving him rewards for slaying these creatures. This becomes apparent because every hunt is precipitated by the sound of a horn and when the warrior returns from his hunt he also has what appears to be a medieval “wanted” poster with a drawing of a monster. All of this plot is told with no monologue, dialogue, voiceover, or anything other than simply what the audience sees on the screen. It is a form of storytelling I have not seen in a feature-length film, and it works surprisingly well in The Head Hunter.

While the storytelling method works, for the most part, there are still aspects that feel as though there isn’t enough meat to the film.  As I mentioned before, multiple times the audience is shown the warrior riding off to kill a monster then returning with its head. It seems like an odd choice that we don’t get to see the warrior engaged in battle with these creatures. I can only assume it was due to budgetary constraints, but with how many times he rides off into the distance it becomes more and more apparent that we are missing the battles. There are two battles shown, but they are primarily in darkness so the action isn’t as palpable as it could be. The Head Hunter is already a shorter film clocking in at 1 hour and 12 minutes, but with the storytelling method, lack of dialogue, and minimal action it may have worked better as a short film.

The two most vital aspects of the film are the acting and the visuals. The Head Hunter is almost entirely filmed with one actor, Christopher Rygh, in his first feature film role. While Rygh doesn’t have much dialogue in the film, he still has quite a presence on screen and is able to emote very well. He truly embodies the look of a warrior and expertly conveys a wide range of emotions. On the visual side, the two strongest aspects are the cinematography and the creature designs. The cinematography does a majority of the storytelling and it as absolutely stunning. Each shot is purposefully framed and focused in a certain way to draw the eye. While for the most part we only see creature heads, the designs are varied and very well done. There is every sort of creature one could want and the big bad in the climax of the film is quite memorable.

The Head Hunter is a stunning feat in visual storytelling, yet it feels a bit devoid of the excitement and tension one would expect from this kind of film. I commend the filmmakers for taking on this fascinating style and creating a beautiful film. The performance from Rygh only helps to make the tale of this warrior compelling to watch. Some will likely notice the lack of tension that comes from skipping over a majority of the monster kills. Some will also likely feel the method used to propel the film forward requires more dialogue. While I stand by my statement that the film may have worked better as a short, it is still an accomplishment in filmmaking and beautiful to watch.

OVERALL RATING: 6/10

The Silence

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A primeval species that hunts by sound is accidentally unleashed from a cave system. As they spread and take down city after city, one family flees in hopes of reaching an area away from cities. The journey is treacherous and even reaching a remote cabin isn’t enough to keep them safe. The family will not only have to keep each other safe from the creatures, but also from other people.

The Silence is one of a slew of films to recently be released with similar concepts including A Quiet Place and Bird Box. There are definitely similarities between this film and last year’s hit, A Quiet Place, but the novel by Tim Lebbon this film is based on was released in 2015. There is the same basic premise of a family trying to survive in a world where deadly creatures can hunt by sound. The similarities continue as the film focuses on a daughter who is deaf and her relationship with her father. The plots diverge from each other from there, but it is impossible to ignore the similarities.

Brothers Carey and Shane Van Dyke (Chernobyl Diaries, The Sacred) took on adapting Lebbon’s novel for the screen while John R. Leonetti directed (Annabelle, Wish Upon). Despite the multiple similarities between The Silence and other films, there are still some differences that set it apart. One of the biggest differences is that audiences will immediately know the origin of these creatures. Their existence isn’t shrouded in mystery, giving the film almost a more scientific monster movie feel at first (although this part will likely also make horror fans think of films such as The Descent and The Cave). Events quickly escalate after the creatures are released. The audience gets brief introduction to the various characters before they are thrown into the end of the world. Something that makes the daughter in this film different is that she only became deaf three years ago, yet she adapted to her new state of being quickly. There are many instances that force the audience to think what they would do in a similar situation as the family is forced to make numerous difficult decisions. It makes some of the more intense scenes evoke emotions one wouldn’t expect. These are the scenes that will likely stand out the most in the minds of viewers.

The thing that had the potential to make this film stand out the most is the introduction of a bizarre cult. This could have been the most interesting part of the film and it could have added a lot of tension to the film. Unfortunately, it’s never fully developed. The cult isn’t even introduced until the third act of the film. It ends up coming across as an afterthought used simply to make the climax of the film more exciting, but it doesn’t necessarily achieve that.

The Silence is a star-studded film with many familiar faces, a few being familiar for other roles in Netflix original projects. Kiernan Shipka (Chilling Adventures of Sabrina, The Blackcoat’s Daughter) stars as Ally. Because Ally is deaf she is able to notice things other are not, such as warning signs of danger. Shipka for the most part delivers a great performance, but there are a few instances where she appears to react to sound despite her character being deaf. Stanley Tucci (The Hunger Games, Spotlight) plays Ally’s father, Hugh. Overall Tucci’s portrayal of Hugh is interesting to watch as he does what he can to protect his family from harm. The biggest issue I have with his performance is likely a choice made by the filmmakers; for a dad who cares so much about the well being of his daughter, he barely ever uses sign language with her. In fact, many conversations with Ally and Hugh make it easy to forget that Ally is deaf because neither character signs very much with each other. They do make a point of saying Ally can read lips, but it still seems like an odd choice. The only time sign language is really used is when the family is in danger and needs to communicate while being completely silent.

There are many interesting visuals in The Silence. The creatures themselves are brought to life with CGI. Considering they are from a dark, sealed off cave, they have the right look one would expect. These things are relatively small, look almost like a cross between a bat and a small pterodactyl-like creature, have pale skin, are blind, and use sound to find their prey. Some of the most gorgeous images in the film are seeing the creatures fly and swarm from afar. It ends up being both terrifying and beautiful all at once. To add to the terror, there is an unexpected amount of practical effects gore throughout the film. Unfortunate victims of the creatures tend to get torn to shreds, and the filmmakers wisely chose not to hold anything back when showing the aftermath.

The Silence has the potential to bring audiences something new and terrifying, but it sadly fails to surpass other films with similar plots. There are some elements that keep the audience interested such as decent performances, a well-known cast, great effects for the creatures, and a healthy dose of blood and gore. What ultimately holds this film back is numerous underdeveloped aspects of the plot. This is the most obvious with the sparing use of sign language, despite the main character being deaf, and with the cult not even being introduced until the third act. The film is entertaining enough to be worth a watch, but it doesn’t do enough to stick with viewers for long.

OVERALL RATING: 6/10

Book of Monsters

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When Sophie was little she thought she saw her mom get killed by a monster. Now, on the eve of her 18th birthday, Sophie and her friends are throwing a party. Her mom’s old monster book resurfaces only to be used by a mystery woman to conjure up some terrifying monsters to wreak havoc on the party guests. It’s up to Sophie and her friends to stop the monsters before they are unleashed on the world.

This gory monster comedy feels like a love letter to horror films of the 80’s. Written by Paul Butler (Nothing Man, The Creature Below) and directed by Stewart Sparke (The Creature Below), Book of Monsters brings campy fun with what appear to be nods to The Evil Dead films while also delivering an interesting and unique plot. The cold open of this film introduces the audience to a young Sophie as her mom reads her a bedtime story from a rather odd book filled with drawings of strange monsters. Sophie then witnesses a monster kill her mother, but of course no one believes her. This quickly sets the tone for the film while also establishing the main character, Sophie. As a teen she is a bit of an outsider; she has a couple close friends, is shy and quiet, and it quickly becomes apparent that she is interested in girls. Her birthday party is the catalyst for the carnage which ensues on the unsuspecting guests.

On the surface Book of Monsters is simply a splatterfest where people are killed left and right and the monsters are a bit on the cheesy side. There are also some odd choices in terms of character development, such as a mean girl who is a bit over-the-top in her mean ways and Sophie quickly goes from meek to warrior woman at the drop of a hat. While some of these aspects can take away from the film, I believe they ultimately have a purpose. It all goes back to paying homage to horror films of the 80’s. The book filled with monsters and spells is reminiscent of The Evil Dead, the monsters themselves can be a throwback to many older films, the mean girl reminded me of Judy from Sleepaway Camp, and Sophie herself is like most virginal final girls of that time who fight for survival. Even the cast, who are all supposed to be teenagers, look like they are between the age of 25-30 just like in 80’s films. What makes Book of Monsters stand out from other films that honor the films of the past is the mythology it creates. Not only are the monsters unique, but the filmmakers gradually build on Sophie’s connection to them in an interesting way that moves the plot forward while also giving plenty of opportunity to create a sequel (or even a prequel) with this mythology.

The performances are a bit of a mixed bag, some being very good and others being over the top. That being said, I believe the range of performances as a deliberate choice by the filmmakers to stay in-keeping with the 80’s nostalgia. Lyndsey Craine (The Creature Below) stars as Sophie. While her character arc is a bit abrupt, Craine’s performance as Sophie stays true to the character. She starts out very shy and sweet, but when her friends are in danger she turns into a monster killer. Craine is also the most believable as a teenager. Two actors who are not believable as teenagers are Michaela Longden (The Creature Below, Audax) as Mona and Anna Dawson (1921, The Creature Below) as Arya. Mona is one of Sophie’s best friends and a bit of a rebel. What I enjoy most about Longden’s performance is her ability to play multiple characters and the way she injects humor into her performance. Arya is the bully of the film. She is so over the top in how terrible she is to Sophie, and others, that Dawson’s performance also comes across as out there. This seems intentional as many of the bullies of 80’s films act quite similarly to Arya. No matter where the performances fall on a scale of good to not so great, it is still easy to see that the actors had fun making this film.

Between the monsters and the gore, it is impossible to ignore the effects in Book of Monsters. Remembering that this film is meant to be like a campy 80’s horror flick, the practical effects definitely pay homage to that era. The filmmakers wisely avoided using CGI. The heavy use of blood and severed body parts is both disgusting and humorous at the same time. When it comes to the monsters themselves, there are some interesting choices made. A couple of the creature designs rely heavily on cloaks to mask much of the body, allowing the SFX team to focus more on the faces of the monsters and the weapons or body parts they use to kill the teens. It can be a bit unfortunate looking at the monsters and realizing the bodies are mostly ignored in the design process, but it still fits with the low-budget 80’s aesthetic. There is one creature the team clearly took more time and money to create, and the design is very unique. The only creature design I don’t like is for the “djinn.” Instead of having a true monster look, the djinn looks more like a ghost from a J-horror film. This could potentially be another nod or homage to that subgenre of horror film, but it seems out of place with the rest of the 80’s style.

Book of Monsters certainly delivers on the monsters and gore with a classic 80’s aesthetic, while also giving audiences a fun and compelling story. The plot feels reminiscent of other films while still including new elements. The actors may not all deliver the best performances, but there is obviously a lot of heart and fun that went into the film. Book of Monsters certainly isn’t a film for everyone, but if you appreciate classic 80’s horror films with campy practical effects then this is the film for you. It is definitely a love-letter to the misfits and monster lovers.

OVERALL RATING: 6.5/10

Starfish

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After losing her best friend, Aubrey secludes herself in her friend’s apartment. She awakes the next day to discover the world as she knows it is coming to an end. People have disappeared and there are strange creatures lurking outside the door. Aubrey finds a mix tape made by her deceased friend with clues as to how to survive this strange new world, and perhaps even save it.

A.T. White brings a powerful story to the screen in his first feature-length film, Starfish. The focus of the plot is grief. Aubrey loses her friend and from that moment her life is changed forever. The film includes elements of a dramatic character study, a Lovecraftian apocalypse, and fantastic music. Each aspect is integral to the film. White takes the audience on a journey through Aubrey’s grief, going through each of the traditional five stages; denial, anger, bargaining, depression, and acceptance. These stages are emphasized by the end of the world happening all around Aubrey and the strange beings that have crossed into our world. Her complete isolation from the rest of the world allows the audience to focus on Aubrey as she goes on her emotional and sometimes dangerous journey in which reality bends, breaks, and unravels.

Music plays a vital role in her journey as well in the form of tapes hidden by her deceased friend. Each tape contains a song with an embedded signal that has something to do with what is happening to the world. This gives Aubrey a goal to work towards and a mystery to solve. It propels forward, forcing her to face her grief and things she has done that she feels guilty about. The tapes could even save Aubrey’s life. All of these elements combine in perfect symphony.

The plot alone is haunting, beautiful, and fascinating, but what makes it even more compelling is White’s inspiration for it. White has said that he lost a friend to cancer and experienced grief like what we see Aubrey go through. The film allowed him to visually work through that grief. What’s even more amazing is that White intends to donate all the money he makes from Starfish to Cancer Research. It shows the passion he has for both his film and the cause. That passion can also easily be seen in every last detail in the film’s plot, character, and music.

In a film that focuses entirely on one character, casting is vital. Virginia Gardner (Halloween, Runaways) stars as Aubrey. The pain, loss, and guilt Aubrey experiences is the catalyst for the entire film. Gardner truly dazzles in the role. She is able to grab the attention and the hearts of the audience and hold on tight. The way Gardner portrays Aubrey as she mourns is complicated, relatable, and incredibly raw. This performance alone makes me excited to see what Gardner does in the future.

The many artistic elements of Starfish also bring a lot to the film. The filmmakers used CGI to create the Lovecraftian creatures from another world, as well as the rips in our reality they traveled through. These effects are relatively subtle. The CGI works especially well with the various sets. The film takes place in a landscape that looks very remote and snowy, which offers a beautiful contrast with the effects. There is also a distinct lack of modern technology throughout the film. This allows for the film to exist in a space without a specific time and could have been made in the 80’s as easily as today. Of course, the music is probably the most important artistic element because of how engrained it is in the plot. The score was composed by none other than White himself and he selected the music for the soundtrack as well. Both the score and soundtrack are a focal point of the film and I found myself trying to find the soundtrack online as soon as I finished the film.

Starfish is a stunning and raw journey through the grieving process as the world ends. White beautifully uses his own experience to take the audience through the stages of grief. He also incorporates music and the collision of different worlds to convey the end of Aubrey’s world. It seems to be left up to the audience whether this is a literal or metaphorical apocalypse, but the story is haunting either way. The weight of the film is carried on Gardner’s capable shoulders as she portrays Aubrey as a complicated heroine.  Add the various visual and musical elements, and you have a must-watch film. If that isn’t enough to convince you to see Starfish, see it so you can support a great cause and have your sale go toward Cancer Research.

OVERALL RATING: 9.5/10

 

Dead Ant

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80’s metal band Sonic Grave is trying to make its big comeback. In a desperate attempt to write a brand new hit song, the band buys some special peyote called “the Sun” and heads out to Joshua Tree in hopes of getting inspired. There is just one catch to the drug: the band can do no harm to a living thing while on the Sun, otherwise there will be dire consequences. Of course, they do not heed the warning.

Writer and director Ron Carlson (All American Christmas Carol) shows he knows how to bring the rock and the laughs in Dead Ant. The film manages to successfully make fun of and pay homage to 80’s glam rock at the same time. These guys are washed up, but they can’t seem to accept it. They are so desperate to make a big comeback they resort to taking drugs in the middle of nowhere, hoping the psychedelic visions will lead to their next hit song. The band definitely fulfills the stereotype of a once famous glam rock band that is trying to relive the glory days; the outfits, the hair, the makeup, the drugs and alcohol use, the hook-ups. The addition of a horror element, in the form of ever-growing giant killer ants, adds to the humor of the film. There is a combination of mysticism with the “do no harm” condition of doing the special drug and creature feature as the band members are hunted down by giant ants. They start out on the small side, but as the film progresses the ants get bigger and bigger. Turning a creature that is generally looked at as small and harmless and turning it into a massive killing machine is a nice comedic touch.

A lot of what makes this film so enjoyable is the performances. Each actor gives a memorable performance in their own way and they all are able to make the audience laugh. One of my favorite performances comes from Jake Busey (The Frighteners, Starship Troopers) as the lead singer, Merrick. Merrick looks a lot like a Bret Michaels impersonator, and he is all about the rock and roll lifestyle. Busey truly commits to the role and ends up delivering some of the most hilarious lines. The band’s guitarist, Pager, is played by Rhys Coiro (Entourage, Straw Dogs). Pager is the most desperate to regain fame, and that leads to some very funny hijinks as music remains the focus even as the ants are on the attack. One of my favorite performances comes from Leisha Hailey (Fertile Ground, The L Word) as the band’s drummer, Stevie. She comes across as the most grounded and the most intelligent of the group. Stevie doesn’t take shit from anyone and Hailey brings some sass to the character. Honorable mention goes to Michael Horse (Twin Peaks), Danny Woodbury (Mirror Mirror), Sean Astin (The Goonies), and Tom Arnold (True Lies).

There are definitely some low-budget style effects in Dead Ant, but they don’t detract from the film at all. If anything they might add a bit of charm to the indie B-movie plot. The ants are all created with CGI. The filmmakers had an understandably low budget to create these big bugs, but the CGI looks no better or worse than many of the films shown on the Syfy Channel. The practical effects are slightly less successful. Although they are used sparingly, there is one effect in the climax of the film that is very cheesy looking. This may have been an intentional choice as the scene is also very comical, but it is hard not to cringe at it. When it comes to the band members, the costume design is spot on for what you would imagine a glam metal band would wear. Each actor also wears a wig to enhance the look of their characters. Although, the wig worn by Astin is absolutely atrocious and is very distracting every time he is on screen.

Dead Ant is a somewhat cheesy, but delightfully funny film that shows a has-been band pitted against giant killer ants. Carlson does a great job of showing his love for 80’s glam metal, while also making fun of the band members as they attempt to make their comeback. He is great at conveying that duality, the same way he is able to combine comedy and horror into one film. The performances are surprisingly entertaining and the big name actors who appear are even more surprising. The effects aren’t particularly amazing, but they are good enough to keep me entertained. Dead Ant is definitely campy and satirical, resulting in a fun popcorn flick that captures the spirit of 80’s horror/music in a modern day film.

OVERALL RATING: 6.5/10

Between the Trees

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Dealing with the stress of a failing marriage, Steve arranges a getaway with his three best friends. Together they rent a remote cabin in the hopes of having a nice quiet hunting trip. It doesn’t take long for these friends to realize they are not alone in those woods. With no cell service and nothing but miles of forest around them, it will be a fight for survival. Only the fittest will escape with their lives.

Directed by Brad Douglas (Besetment) and written by first-time screenwriter Sam Klarreich, Between the Trees is a horror film that combines different subgenres. On the one hand the film is a suspenseful thriller as it follows Steve. He appears to be obsessed with his marriage falling apart and makes a point of asking his two married friends how their marriages are, while also telling them about his own failing marriage. Steve is clearly unstable, and the isolation only seems to exacerbate his deteriorating state of mind. On the other hand, this film is a creature feature. There is something else in the woods with the friends. They kill the offspring of the creature in self-defense, and then the creature tries to hunt them down one by one.

While individually these two premises could be great, and there are some areas of overlap that are quite interesting, they ultimately don’t fit together very well. With how the plot is revealed, it seems that the filmmakers were trying to use the creature aspect as a way to emphasize the tension between the four friends. Instead, the film comes across as two entirely different films, both in content and tone, rammed together like two puzzle pieces that don’t fit. Between the Trees is only an hour and 14 minutes long, but even with that short run time it feels too long. It would have worked so much better as two separate short films. At times the film becomes especially convoluted, mostly when it focuses on the creature aspect. It is the least developed subplot, and as a result viewers will likely be left wondering what this thing is supposed to be, among other questions.

Each performance in Between the Trees is fine, but the characters are all very one-note and lack any depth. Greg James (Wild) plays Steve. The character is written in such a way that leaves little room for James to bring a powerful performance. Steve is quiet, brooding, and only really cares to talk about his marriage. James tries his hardest to push beyond the character created for him, and has a few moments where he is able to show some real intensity, but the writing holds him back. This is a pattern with all the characters. Jonny Lee (Hacked) plays the drunken lady’s man, Mack. Again, Lee’s performance is fine, but there isn’t much more to the character than what I just described. Dan Kyle (Combat Report) portrays manly-man Dave. Dave is the big, tough guy who is the most capable hunter and woodsman of the group. Kyle manages to bring the slightest bit of depth to this character in the way he talks about his wife, albeit very briefly. Finally there is Michael Draper (The Competition) as Josh. This character is another stereotype; he is the most sensitive of the group, loves his wife, and dresses a bit too nicely for a weekend in a cabin so of course that means he is often called “gay” by the unsavory locals. Draper’s performance often goes into the realm of caricature, which doesn’t fit well with the rest of the film, but he at least is able to give us a few surprises with his character.

Normally creature design and practical effects are aspects of a horror film I look forward to most, but they are not great selling points of this film. Before we even see the creatures they are described in terms audiences are familiar with such as “Bigfoot” and “Sasquatch.” These words automatically conjure up visions of large, hairy ape-like beasts roaming the forests. When you finally see the creatures in Between the Trees, you get almost the exact opposite. The adult creature is definitely tall, but other than that these beings are hairless, have pale greyish skin, use bows and arrows, and wear human clothing. It comes across as though very little effort was put into the creature design, and the execution looks like a rubber Halloween mask. They are simply too human and it leaves a lot of lingering questions in the end about how these things could exist without the locals knowing about them.

Between the Trees can’t seem to decide what kind of film it wants to be. It tries very hard to marry two different stories into one plot, but it results in a confusing jumble. There are too many unanswered questions, especially when it comes to the creatures in the film. The archetypes for the four characters are fairly bland and leave little room for the actors to bring any tension or dimension to their performances. Most of the issues with the film can be chalked up to how the film was written and the unfortunate creature design. I appreciate the attempt at doing something different, but as a whole it is not a film I would recommend.

OVERALL RATING: 3.5/10