October 06, 2006
Isolation
The Thing meets Endangered Species on the set of Babe
Starring: John Lynch, Sean Harris
Rating: 8/10
Directed By: Billy O'Brien
Runtime: 95 minutes
Starring: John Lynch, Sean Harris
Rating: 8/10
Directed By: Billy O'Brien
Runtime: 95 minutes
The last five years have been a renaissance for horror in cinema. Film being the cyclical medium it is has seen a rash of young filmmakers ready to recreate the horror movies they grew up watching from the 70s and early 80s. As horror evolved (or devolved depending on your personal opinion) from the wisecracking monsters of the late 80s into self-referential teens in peril slasher flicks of the 90s, the scares have been harder to come by. Around the turn of the century, though, things began changing for the genre as America turned toward the West for inspiration and began churning out Asian horror movie remakes that put the emphasis on mood and style over story (a dynamic which holds true for most successful horror movies). And as important as this development was for the genre, it was the introduction of a new wave of horror movie auteurs in recent years that has brought horror cinema its greatest achievements since the days when then names Carpenter, Romero, and Craven were mentioned among those of the great filmmakers or their day. The current crop of horror classics are genre films made by people that grew up watching horror films and have a great deal of love and admiration for the genre. Alexandre Aja (Haute Tension, The Hills Have Eyes), Neil Marshall (Dog Soldiers, The Descent) and Dante Tomaselli (Desecration, Horror, Satan's Playground) lead a pack of directors spearheading this new horror movement.
Billy O'Brien deserves to be added to this list based upon the strength of his brilliant debut, Isolation. Although it remains to be seen if O'Brien will continue to make horror films, his contribution to the genre is one of the most atmospheric and claustrophobic film experiences of the year. What sounds like a ridiculous parody (murderous, mutated cow fetuses?) proves to be one of the scariest movie-going experiences that audiences will be treated to this year.
The film takes place on a dairy farm owned by Danny Reilly (John Lynch in a quiet, nuanced performance) who agrees to have his cattle used in genetic experiments to make enough money to save the only home he's ever known. The omnipotent corporation footing the bills for these experiments is exemplified in the form of Danny's ex-girlfriend (Essie Davis) and her domineering boss (Marcel Lures). The only other characters to participate in the action are a couple of squatters (Ruth Negga, Sean Harris) on Danny's land who he is forced to turn to in a time of need.
Since this is a horror film it is not difficult to guess that the genetic experiments go horribly awry but one of the biggest surprises of the film is that the creatures don't arrive until well into the hour and a half running time. The first (and most effective) half of the movie derives its scares from its setting (the land surrounding the farm is somehow both wide open and enclosed) and Danny's wonderfully intense experiences with skittish cattle. Also, in the time of Dolly the Sheep, the genetic experiments themselves can be terrifying and prescient. As the scientists begin to notice genetic anomalies in their subject cattle, I couldn't help but be reminded of Alan Rudolph's superb 1982 film Endangered Species and the way it anchored its horrors in the here and now.
The only thing that prevents Isolation from getting a perfect score is a somewhat disappointing final act in which the film relies on a standard monster movie device - the extended chase sequence in a confined area. The last 15 minutes fall prey to the genre trappings that the first 80 minutes work so hard to overcome. Those 80 minutes, though, are enough to elevate Isolation into the upper echelon of horror cinema and reserve it a spot among many horror fan's top 10 lists.
Billy O'Brien deserves to be added to this list based upon the strength of his brilliant debut, Isolation. Although it remains to be seen if O'Brien will continue to make horror films, his contribution to the genre is one of the most atmospheric and claustrophobic film experiences of the year. What sounds like a ridiculous parody (murderous, mutated cow fetuses?) proves to be one of the scariest movie-going experiences that audiences will be treated to this year.
The film takes place on a dairy farm owned by Danny Reilly (John Lynch in a quiet, nuanced performance) who agrees to have his cattle used in genetic experiments to make enough money to save the only home he's ever known. The omnipotent corporation footing the bills for these experiments is exemplified in the form of Danny's ex-girlfriend (Essie Davis) and her domineering boss (Marcel Lures). The only other characters to participate in the action are a couple of squatters (Ruth Negga, Sean Harris) on Danny's land who he is forced to turn to in a time of need.
Since this is a horror film it is not difficult to guess that the genetic experiments go horribly awry but one of the biggest surprises of the film is that the creatures don't arrive until well into the hour and a half running time. The first (and most effective) half of the movie derives its scares from its setting (the land surrounding the farm is somehow both wide open and enclosed) and Danny's wonderfully intense experiences with skittish cattle. Also, in the time of Dolly the Sheep, the genetic experiments themselves can be terrifying and prescient. As the scientists begin to notice genetic anomalies in their subject cattle, I couldn't help but be reminded of Alan Rudolph's superb 1982 film Endangered Species and the way it anchored its horrors in the here and now.
The only thing that prevents Isolation from getting a perfect score is a somewhat disappointing final act in which the film relies on a standard monster movie device - the extended chase sequence in a confined area. The last 15 minutes fall prey to the genre trappings that the first 80 minutes work so hard to overcome. Those 80 minutes, though, are enough to elevate Isolation into the upper echelon of horror cinema and reserve it a spot among many horror fan's top 10 lists.