Review: Elevator (2011)

Elevator (2011)

Director: Stig Svendsen

Elevator is the story of nine strangers trapped inside an elevator. They are all going to a party for an announcement of the retirement of the CEO, who happens to be on the elevator. It is revealed that one of them has a bomb strapped to her. She is seeking revenge against the CEO. Then she dies. Most of the film is about the characters trying to figure out how to get off the elevator before the bomb goes off.

This could have been an interesting interplay between characters from different socioeconomic backgrounds. Instead, it's an uninteresting, flat story about people stuck in an elevator. In contrast to a film like Devil, (2010, directed by John Erick Dowdle) which is a great suspense story set inside an elevator, this film fails to capitalize on its claustrophobic setting. An interesting cast of characters portrayed by some good actors, never get the chance to break out of stereotypical roles. There is the racist comedian, the rich old white man, and the nice overweight guy.

The storyline of the bomber could have been explored to create more suspense. However, once we learn the bomber's identity, the film loses its momentum. It then turns to gore and blood for shock value. You don't care about any of the people stuck in the elevator, with the exception of the one who is pregnant. You don't feel any sense of doom or urgency with the ticking clock. What could have been a study in themes such as corporate greed, racism, and infidelity, instead fails to be anything more than a boring retread of other movies you've seen before.

There is one reference in the film to Lifeboat (1944, Directed by Alfred Hitchcock). That film also had a group of strangers trapped in a small space with one of them harboring a dark secret. Written by John Steinbeck, it's a great example of a psychological thriller that takes place in one location. See that instead.

- Peter Browne

Review: American Mary (2012)

American Mary (2012)

Directors: Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska

Writers: Jen Soska, Sylvia Soska

Stars: Katharine Isabelle, Antonio Cupo, Tristan Risk

American Mary tells the story of a young med student desperate to make money. It's a relatable premise about a woman trying to make ends meet. Mary interviews for a job as a stripper and instead ends up getting offered $5,000 to stitch up a guy who's been badly injured. While she is initially terrified, she performs the surgery. She returns home, horrified by what he has done. The next day, she is offered more money by a stripper for a body modification operation. Mary gets invited to a party that one of her professors is having. There, she is drugged and raped. The story then turns in a different direction when she has her rapist teacher kidnapped. She performs multiple surgeries on him. She drops out of med school, goes into business on her own as a body modification surgeon, and continues to hold hostage and operate on her professor.

Mary, played by Katherine Isabelle, gives a great, confident, sarcastic and scary performance. She is often clad in black leather and lace; think Betty Page meets Dr. Kevorkian.  However, we never really discover much about her character other than that she has a grandmother who dies. We don't learn who she is or what she wants, other than revenge. While the film has its moments, ultimately the story falls short of satisfying the expectations it sets.  There are several characters and scenes reminiscent of David Lynch or The Wachowski siblings, but there's a lot of noir-ish style and not enough substance.

After Mary kills a security guard who discovers her hostage, the film toys with the idea of turning Mary into a villain. There's also a storyline with a detective on her case that felt rushed. The film tries to tell several stories that don't all get resolved, and the ending feels rushed. It does, however, have a good mix of dark humor and gore, and features a powerful female protagonist, often absent in modern horror films. 

- Peter Browne

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Review: Exam (2009)

Exam (2009)

Director: Stuart Hazeldine

Exam is a slick little thriller that takes a common story and tells it in a unique way. It contains a great opening sequence that visually introduces each of the characters without any real dialogue. Eight job candidates are placed in a room for 80 minutes. Each has a desk with a piece of paper and pencil. An invigilator enters the room and explains that this is their final test in what has been on ongoing process. There is one question and there is one answer. An armed security guard stands at the door. They are told if they try to leave, spoil their paper, communicate with the guard or the invigilator, they will be disqualified. When they turn their papers over, they are blank.

Immediately, one of the candidates is removed for writing on her paper. The remaining seven form a tentative alliance. One man takes charge when he tells the others they must work together. He gives them all aliases. He calls himself White, the others Brown, Dark, Blonde, Black, Brunette, and Deaf. These are the only names that are used throughout the film.

They begin to brainstorm ways to uncover the question. What begins as a team effort turns into a battle of wits and survival when White tricks another candidate into being removed. The stakes are then raised as they go from working together to turning on one another. Reminiscent of stories like Lord of the Flies, a power struggle ensues when White tries to take control of the situation.

Exam clips along at a fast pace and keeps the viewer unsure of both the question the candidates seek but also who will prevail. Loyalties shift between the characters, as well as the viewer's feeling about them. Brunette is a much stronger, tougher character initially, who shifts drastically when she is turned on by the others.

It's a clever story that quietly teases out the characters' backstories. It also makes one think of themselves, and how they would react in a similar situation. The ticking clock throughout the film keeps the tension up. It's more of a psychological thriller than a traditional horror film, but it does contain many classic horror elements. These include a claustrophobic environment, characters eliminated one by one, and an interesting twist at the end.

With all the action taking place inside one room, it feels like a play. It makes great use of limited space and a good cast to play off one another. Up until the end the suspense continues. Without a good script or cast this story could have fallen flat. But it doesn't. It keeps the tension up and has several great surprises before the final shot. Recommended.

- Peter Browne