With a slow build up that leads into a roller coaster like down swipe of brutal imagery and nerve wreaking suspense new comer Gus Trapani explodes onto the indie scene with an emotionally charged Thriller that not only tops any suspense film I've seen from the Indie scene in a very long time but makes Hollywood look like the work of chimps! The acting here was out of this world! The repertoire between the two brothers left me in awe, On the surface we see such hatred and hostility towards each other but with an often shining through fierce dedication to one another that tells us that the now distant brothers were once very close. The depth with which these characters were portrayed and the amount of emotion the actors mustered up was nothing short of amazing, when i looked into them and discovered this was the first major role either one of them had I was even more impressed.
The character of the Killer was another one that just threw me for a loop. First of all this guy is neither a big and hulking mutated psychopath nor a handsome alluring man, He's a completely average looking blue collar type. The type you'd see in the supermarket or even in the cubicle next to you and never give a second glance. This made him all the more terrifying and his self assured calm approach even when he realizes his domicile is compromised is far creepier then any mask or eradicate behavior could be. This is a man that enjoys his acts of inhumanity but is completely aware of what he is doing. He's far from crazy, he's simply evil. The skill with which this actor plays this role, (who doesn't have a single spoken line by the way) almost makes me want to break this site's rule against actor name dropping..but I won't, you need to see this character without thinking about the actor.
The biggest attraction this film had in my opinion (besides the great acting and stellar story) was the camera work, which was completely sure handed and remained pretty standard, that is until the scenes with the killer's house came up and multiple color filters as well as wide angle overhead shots were utilized to give the house a nightmarish, unsettling quality. The interior shots began with a light blue filter which rendered everything virtually colorless giving the scene an unnatural dream-like quality, but as the scenes progressed further in a red filter and a green one were also utilized. From speaking with the director I know this was meant to symbolize the blue collar nature of the killer and the moral decay resting within him but to me it came across feeling like Purgatory giving way to hell.
The overall picture of this film came across as a reverse situation version of Funny Games if it had been directed by Dario Argento, Director Gus Trapani showed a level of expertise and artistic flair with this (his first film) That even the greats of the genre take years or even decades to master and does it with a budget of only 10 grand! -to see The full review go to B-IS For Best Movie Reviews And More