Film Review: WAGES OF SIN (2011)

Writer Sam Ingraffia and director Doug Burch have come up with an innovative independent film that looks into the minds of kidnappers in their film Wages of Sin (2011).  It’s 1964 and Celee and Buddy (Lauren Martin and Travis Quentin Young, respectfully) have kidnapped Katharine (Katherine Everett) in hopes of persuading her rich father to fork up a nice reward for her safe return.  Unfortunately, neither Celee nor Buddy are all that professional of kidnappers and Celee gets too close to their captive.  Buddy is doing it for the money while Celee is doing it out of love for Buddy but the longer she and Katharine talk the more she realizes that Buddy may not be telling her everything which threatens the success of the operation. 

This is a three person film in a single location that is dependent upon the performances of the three leads to carry the film.  Everett and Martin are the real stand outs as the film is mostly on these two and follows the development of Martin’s Celee as she goes from kidnapper to savior, at least in her eyes.  Martin is the one to look out for.

Unfortunately, the film does tread over some of the same ground from time to time and over stays it’s welcome.  It is hard for a feature with only three actors and a single location to sustain itself.  I have to commend the cast and film-makers for giving it a try as it was nice attempt.  Overall, the film needed to be opened up a little more especially considering that Everett has little to do other than sit tied up in a chair for most of the film.  

Not a horror film per say but more a slow burning psychological thriller so be warned.

Film Review: RITES OF SPRING (2011)

Spring has come and with it tradition and rites that need to be adhered to in order for order to be kept.  This is the basic premise behind Rites of Spring (2011) a better than expected monster film that fuses the gangster film with the horror film in surprisingly original ways. 

Written and directed by Padraig Reynolds the film has two parallel storylines.  One follows four criminals whose kidnapping goes south and the second storyline follows two women who are abducted by a man who has a nefarious objective that involves a monster hidden in a hole in the barn.  When the kidnappers stumble upon one of the captured women all hell breaks loose and everyone finds themselves being hunted down by a creature that none of them understands.

The reason why the film works is because it has a very simply premise that is not hampered down by a complicated plot and although there is a complicated mythology surrounding the creature in the film very little time is spent explaining it.  At a brisk running time of only 80 minutes the film is a roller coaster ride from beginning to end and horror fans should not be dismayed by the gangster-kidnapping story as Reynolds does a great job of balancing the two very different story threads.

What also elevates this film above other indie horror films is the better than expected cast headlined by the always dependable AJ Bowen (of The Signal and You’re Next) and Reynolds direction of the material.  This is a film much better than expected and will not disappoint horror fans.