FrightFest 2013: You're Next, Hatchet 3, VHS 2 & More Reviewed
The Conspiracy
rating: 3.5
Christopher MacBride's debut feature unexpectedly pushes the boundaries of the found footage flick, meshing it with a distinct and convincing mockumentary style. Two filmmakers are making a documentary aobut conspiracy theorist Terrance G, when suddenly, he disappears, and the young documentarians find themselves being followed by black vans - or are they? Fearing that they have become dragged into something far beyond their understanding, their own skepticism regarding the conspiracy theorist movement soon enough becomes firmly shaken. This is an exceptionally well-assembled, convincing mock doc, which provides some genuinely interesting insights into the nature of conspiracy theorists as people, even if we might not buy into the theories in any way, shape or form. The filmmakers themselves becoming paranoid that they're going to surreptitiously disappear much like Terrance is played off all in good fun initially, though there's also a consistent and surprising level of intrigue present throughout. The third act sees the duo deciding to infiltrate The Tarsus Club - a cult-like organisation comprised of powerful world leaders, who are apparently conspiring to establish a New World Order - with multi-perspective hidden camera keeping the tension taut and dynamic, right to the very end. We never quite know which rabbit hole we're going to follow it down, and the climax avoids outrageous histrionics in favour of a far more eerie, ambiguous, yet also satisfying ending. As both a compelling examination of conspiracy theorists and a unique found footage film, The Conspiracy lays firm groundwork before delivering a tense, dynamic third act.The Last Days
rating: 3.5
Going by an opening Warner Bros. ident, it's clear that somebody saw something big in this Spanish horror flick, and given the talent on hand, it's easy to see why; this claustrophobic thriller from the team of David and lex Pastor (behind 2009's underrated Chris Pine-starring Carriers) makes the most of its mid-level budget (5 million Euros), delivering a beautifully filmed, often haunting apocalyptic saga. An epidemic known only as The Panic is spreading across the globe, gripping the infected with a fatal fear of open spaces, leading to instant death and causing the world's survivors to hole up inside buildings, fearful of leaving. In Barcelona, Marc is searching for his pregnant girlfriend Julia, reluctantly teaming with his boss Enrique to traverse sewers and subways to track her down without venturing outside. We thought we'd seen just about every type of viral apocalypse possible, and yet the Pastor Brothers have come up with just one more; the instant death that The Panic affords the infected is a unique, terrifying ailment, and there's smartly no ridiculous reason concocted for its existence - the cause is unknown, and the only reality is confinement. Its depiction of cabin fever in light of this is startlingly believable, yet there's also a wealth of satirical, biting humour, particularly as it pertains to the uneasy relationship between employer and employee (or as he was about to become before the outbreak, ex-employee). The Last Days also isn't averse to the occasional outrageous moment, notably an encounter with a bear that pretty much comes totally out of left-field. The Pastors prove what can be done with a modest budget when you strip away the Hollywood excess. Last year's FrightFest attendees should keep their eyes peeled for 3's Leticia Dolera, and Sleep Tight's Marta Etura (playing Julia).