**NOTE**
Before reading this review, I will say that the less you know about this film the better it is, I only took the synopsis from IMDb and thats the only thing that is “Spoilery.” I recommend if you like horror movies to go into this completely blind and read this review later to see my thoughts, I find most horror movies are better to go in blind. I really liked this movie so if you don’t want to read further, theres my overall thought.
“There Is Hell. This Is Worse”
Release Date: April 7th, 2017 (iTunes – $9.99), May 23rd, 2017 (Blu Ray)
Genre: Horror, Thriller, Mystery, Sci-Fi
Rated: 18A This movie much like what was said in the trailer was a throwback to old 80’s horror movies and John Carpenter films; John Carpenter is one of my favourite directors so I knew I had to see this movie, so immediately when I saw it on iTunes for $9.99 it was an instant buy for me, and I’ll probably end up picking up the blu ray when it releases in May… if I can find it.
The Void is a Horror, Mystery and Science Fiction film that follows a police officer who delivers a patient to an understaffed hospital, the officer begins to experience strange and violent occurrences linked to a group of mysterious hooded figures. What follows is just a thrill ride of intrigued and thrills.
The Void is directed and written by Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski. They both worked with each other previously on a segment in ABCs of Death 2 (2014). I didn’t finish this movie, I need to watch it down the line, but I just find those films difficult to sit through as there are 26 different stories that fit each letter of the alphabet, for example T is for Turbo, which was where Turbo Kid (2015), was first introduced to the audience and eventually led to the full length film. However, considering I haven’t seen Jeremy Gillespie or Steven Kostanski’s other films, this section will be short but sweet. I thought that the film was well written and extremely well directed. I was a huge fan of this movie, especially since they decided to use practical effects (much like John Carpenter did in most of his movies). It was a great throwback to the 80’s where there was some campy goodness, some very violent scenes and I thought that all the practical effects were really really good. I’m really intrigued to see what this duo does next, I was really impressed with it.
The Void stars Aaron Poole as Daniel Carter, Kenneth Welsh as Dr. Richard Powell, Kathleen Munroe as Allison Fraser, and Ellen Wong as Kim.
Aaron Poole’s filmography consists of nothing I have seen before. I thought he was passable as the cop, I thought he played the role well, he wasn’t outstanding, but he didn’t bring down the film at all. I wish I could say more about him, but I have nothing to compare him too.
Kenneth Welsh’s filmography consists of Twin Peaks {TV Series} (1990-1991), Timecop (1994), The Day After Tomorrow (2004), The Aviator (2004), Four Brothers (2005), and The Exorcism Of Emily Rose (2005). Welsh is probably the most recognizable face in this movie, he’s been in a lot, and he is very recognizable. It was cool to see him in this movie, as its a genre that is different than anything that he has done before. I thought he did a great job in this movie.
Kathleen Munroe’s filmography consists of Durham County {TV Series} (2007). I don’t particularly remember Munroe in Durham County, but that show was really well made and the acting was good in it, so I assume that she was good in Durham County. I thought she was good in this movie, she played the role she needed to play with not a lot of roughness.
Ellen Wong’s filmography consists of Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World (2010). I honestly did not recognize Wong in this movie, but she was Knives Chow in Scott Pilgrim Vs. The World, where she played a really clingy and annoying character, but she had too play that role in that movie. In The Void however, she played the annoying role again, which wasn’t horrible, but she got on my nerves as a character.
I thought the acting in this movie was fine, it wasn’t over the top, it was not bad, it was fine. Horror movies to me do not need good acting, as long as I’m intrigued by the film and it provides me a good horror movie, full of scares and creepiness, and if we’re going to judge this film by that, I feel like its definitely successful in that area. I had a lot of flashbacks to watching John Carpenter’s The Thing (1982), the pace, the weirdness of the film, the hue of the film, the tint of the film and even how the movie was filmed.
I thought the soundtrack was cool. It was an homage to 80’s Horror movies. Synth filled and just cool to listen too.
My only gripe against the film was parts of the film I felt weren’t written great, it dragged in places where I felt it didn’t need to drag, especially in the 1 Hour and 30 minute runtime.
If your a fan of 80’s horror movies, horror movies in general or John Carpenter films this is definitely a movie I think you should watch. Its definitely creepy, I won’t say its “Scary” as I think horror movies and what you are scared by is objective and subjective, so if something scares me, it may not scare you; and I don’t want to be a person that says “ITS SO SCARY YOU NEED TO WATCH IT NOW” as I feel like I am setting myself up for failure.
I give The Void a 4/5, if you’re in the mood for a different type of horror film, or a throwback to older horror films this is for you.
Until Next Time!
-Andrew
Upcoming Reviews:
Free Fire – Advanced Screening is April 17th, so The review should be posted tonight or early in the morning.