Thoughts : The Void (2016)
October is here, and any film blogger worth their salt has already done a deep dive into the world of horror. As a movie love who is only recently rediscovering their love for the genre, it’s been nice to have an excuse to go back and check out a few films that slipped past my radar due to me being a bit of a sissy. One of those films that always looked like it was going to give me the heebie jeebies was the retro-style horror and psychological thriller The Void.
At an isolated farmhouse on the edge of the woods, James (Evan Stern) barely escapes from Vincent (Daniel Fathers) and Simon (Mik Byskov), leaving a young woman behind in the process that Vincent shoots before he and Simon burn her alive. A few moments later, James is picked up off the road by Deputy Daniel Carter (Aaron Poole) and taken to a local hospital, barely operational and mostly abandoned in the wake of a fire. The skeleton crew at the hospital includes Dr. Richard Powell (Kenneth Welsh); nurses Beverly (Stephanie Belding) and Alison Fraser (Kathleen Munroe), Carter’s estranged wife; intern Kim (Ellen Wong); and grandfather Ben (James Millington), his pregnant granddaughter Maggie (Grace Munro), and patient Cliff (Matt Kennedy). Carter, barely holding on in his role of authority figure, is shaken when he walks in on Beverly in the midst of stabbing Cliff in the eyes shortly after disfiguring herself. In self-defense, Carter shoots her, just as State Trooper Mitchell (Art Hindle) arrives, who attempts to take control of the situation. In rapid succession, however, Beverly emerges as a monster, Carter is attacked by a strange sect of hooded figures who gather outside of the hospital, and James is discovered in the hospital by Vincent and Simon. As issues arise and tensions escalate, James kills Dr. Powell, throwing the group in disarray. As individuals attempt to make sense of the growing madness, the actions grow increasingly strange, and the people trapped in the hospital are forced to take drastic actions in an attempt to survive what they cannot comprehend.
The idea of having your protagonist portrayed by a broken man with an unwillingness to do his job, due to fear or whatever reason, in tandem with placing him in a situation where he must depend on a wife he has lost connection with, creates a tension that is present outside of the protagonist/antagonist realm that is very effective. On the antagonist side, no less than 4 different characters or character sets are presented as possible antagonists, and none are really given much in terms of intention until the final third of the film. These supposed antagonists are placed in that role solely off of their intimidating or questionable natures, which works well in the mystery format we are presented with. Just like any good mystery that involves a body count, we as an audience find ourselves rooting for and against certain characters, which makes this film’s ‘survivor’ choices quite interesting in retrospect.
Where this film really works, however, is in the aspects of location and obstacles to overcome. The setting of an abandoned, partially burned hospital surrounded by cult members that just so happens to be a possible portal to a hellish dimension works ridiculously well in terms of both tone and tension, and that’s just the outer layer. Narratively, the film just keeps throwing problems at the characters, sometimes one right in the middle of another, with such a wide range of aspects included that it is mentally jarring. Dealing with a hostage situation is stressful enough, but when the nurse you just shot because she was acting like a possessed psycho becomes a literal monster in the middle of that, all bets are off. Both the characters’ and the audiences’ depths of madness and ability to comprehend it all are pushed to an absolute limit.
The choice to do old school, practical effects in The Void was an inspired one. Everything from the gore and violence to the monster effects, and even the strange visions that Deputy Carter undergoes, all seem to have been done practically, making them feel tangible within the world that the characters inhabit. Visually, everything is given a saturated, aged look, making this film feel like an overlooked 1980′s gem. The entire proceedings were certainly inspired by John Carpenter, with the movie feeling like a weird mixture of several influences... think House of Leaves meets Event Horizon, with a blend of The Thing and The Mist forced into the middle of it all. The score is powerful in the way that it adds to the overall experience, never really making itself noticeable until key moments, where it then emerges similar to the monstrous creatures that emerge in the film.
Aaron Poole does a great job of embracing his shook nature initially, coming off like a slightly more serious version of the Super Troopers, before circumstances force him to act heroically. Daniel Fathers and Mik Byskov work well in tandem, with Father’s intensity driving the actions of both to the point that Mik is able to make the tough choices near the film’s conclusion. Kathleen Munroe is miraculously unbothered by all of the craziness that surrounds her, with her laser-like focus being locked in on her patients to the point that she doesn’t even realize when it’s too late for her. Kenneth Welsh purposefully plays a bit withdrawn in order for his eventual emergence to have greater impact. Ellen Wong brings a subtle bit of comedy, and is a huge beacon for the audience to connect with in terms of her skill set versus the situational stakes involved. Grace Munro and James Millington originally come on as characters the audience can pity, with Munro’s eventual turn playing well even though you see it coming. Evan Stern radiates his fear perfectly, to the point you are never quite sure if you can trust him. Appearances by Art Hindle, Stephanie Belding and Matt Kennedy help ramp up the tension and uneasiness.
I enjoyed this movie so much more than I thought I would, mostly because I assumed this move was going to shock me into submission. Instead, it gave me quite a bit to think about in the wake of the film’s conclusion, and quite a lot to enjoy and re-examine upon repeat viewings. What are some of your favorite horror films? Leave a comment below, or do an ‘Ask Me Anything’, and let me know what you’d like to see me write on.
