Welcome and all to my blog reviewing 2016 horror/science fiction film "The Void". Before I begin I welcome any thoughts on any of my posts by leaving a comment below or by following me on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram.
I love horror films and October gives me an excuse to watch as much horror as I possibly can. If you follow me on Instagram I have been documenting my month of horror. I watched "The Void" last year and was impressed greatly with this film that seemingly came out of nowhere. I never wrote about it when it came out but, horror month seems to be the best time to do so.
"The Void" was released last year by "XYZ Films" after originally being crowdfunded through "Indiegogo" the film was written and directed by first timers Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gilliespie, who are collectively known as "Astron-6", a film production company that specialises in practical effects.
"The Void" follows the events after police officer Daniel Carter finds a drug addict crawling about woodland and rushes him to the local hospital which is in the process of closing down and moving to a new location due to a recent fire. upon arrival Daniel talks to his estranged wife, Allison and head doctor Richard Powell. After a horrifying series of events and wounded Daniel, Powell and Allison along with patients and staff are joined by two mysterious strangers that warn them that they are all in danger. What comes next are scenes that involve weird cloaked cult types, some horrifying creatures and a mind bending story you'll really have to watch and re watch to really grasp what you've just watched.
I have to admit I had to watch "The Void" a couple of times to really understand the plot fully. What I really enjoyed about the way in which the story was told was that it was not bogged down in pointless character building. Not that it doesn't explore back story, we learn that Daniel and his wife Allison are estranged due to the loss of their unborn child. the theme of loss and coping with loss is buried within the plot throughout as we learn that Doctor Powell has lost his daughter and has learned to cope with it in a different manner. We also learn that the two mysterious strangers, Vincent and Simon, are also dealing with their own loss. The way in which this is done is subtly and in a way that doesn't slow down the frenetic pace of the film. There is no real build up to the main body of the film, starting with a dramatic opening scene that sets the pace and tone for the rest of the film. With that being said the tension and suspense is built in such a way that the 3rd act and outcome of the film is incredibly rewarding.
What I also loved about this film is that it is truly an homage to low budget horror films from the 80's and 90's that focus on body shock and practical effects rather than the modern horror tropes of loud noises and sound effects. You can really tell that Kostanski and Gilliespie really have a grasp of creature and practical effects as throughout "The Void" there are some incredibly impressive creatures and make up work, that would put a lot of modern horror to shame. What I tend to find with these types of films is that the focus of the film is how visually horrifying these effects can be, however with "The Void" the story telling and effects are perfectly balanced and blends horror and science fiction well.
Aaron Poole who plays Daniel Carter is incredible throughout. He begins as a bored and frustrated police officer dealing with loss in a passive way but, throughout the film he goes through his own transformation into an incredible leader fighting to find out the truth. Kenneth Welsh is fantastic as Doctor Powell , beginning with a stuffy doctor type and really blowing it out of the water at the start of the 2nd act and becoming almost unrecognisable in the 3rd. Ellen Wong puts in a decent performance as medical intern Kim, who could have been a throw away character, however becomes more than just another player with a little character development.
Overall "The Void" is a hidden gem of a horror film, proving that scares are achievable through good story telling and practical effects. Despite a small budget "The Void" is far superior to a lot of horror films with studio backing. Well worth checking out this Halloween.
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