Worth: $15.00
FilmInk rates movies out of $20 — the score indicates the amount we believe a ticket to the movie to be worth
Cast:
Aaron Poole, Evan Stern, Kathleen Munroe
Intro:
"A flawed but imaginative piece of work, much like the cult films that influenced it."
Canadian film production crew Astron-6 have paid goofy homage to ‘80s b-grade films with Father’s Day, Manborg, and The Editor. Members of the group, Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie, have now decided to drop the goof, making a sincere attempt at these cult classics with The Void.
After an explosively violent opening scene, deputy Daniel Carter (Aaron Poole) stumbles upon James (Evan Stern), a survivor from the carnage. Daniel races James to the small town’s nearest hospital. A small group of staff are busy packing to move out of the fire damaged hospital, including Daniel’s estranged wife Alison (Kathleen Munroe). When more violence occurs, Daniel tries to make contact with the police station, only to find all communication is down, and a group of hooded figures surrounding the building, trapping everyone inside. Daniel and the other occupants must now figure out what’s happening, and survive the other horrors lurking inside the building.
An obvious influence on The Void is John Carpenter’s The Thing. Both feature trapped people, traitors lurking amongst them, a mesmerising electronic score, and some incredible body horror. The Void goes even further, adding a cult and something mystical. The look of the cult members is simple, with them all wearing white hoods with a giant black triangle over their faces. It’s a simple design, but is effective in its eeriness. The monsters are more elaborately designed, with shocking scenes involving tentacles wiggling in and out of faces, and grotesque creatures on the prowl. The amount of work put into the look of the film is incredible, but it’s a shame not much was put in elsewhere.
The plot is barely existent. While a great choice to make the cult as mysterious to the audience as they are to the protagonists, it is hard to grasp what exactly is going on. At times it almost feels like the filmmakers aren’t sure what’s going on (or at least their ideas about the mystical are far too difficult to explain). Just as bare are the characters, with nothing to make anyone care about them. However, there are times when The Void gets things right.
The film keeps viewers guessing as true loyalties are revealed. As soon as you have one character figured out, they completely change into something else. One sequence which deserves praise is the intercutting of one group fighting a cellar of mutants while a pregnant woman goes into labour. These two sequences could’ve been thrilling on their own, but intercutting them creates a tense few minutes that really brings the film alive.
The Void has lofty ambitions, but doesn’t quite reach them. But when it does work, it really comes alive. A flawed but imaginative piece of work, much like the cult films that influenced it.
I completely disagree!
The fact that the viewer has no more idea what is happening that the onscreen participants is a powerful technique!
A true masterpiece. I LOVED the soundtrack!