In the first few minutes you have a lady being shot then set on fire. Later a nurse is seen slowly pulling a blade (a pair of scissors?) from a ‘sleeping’ patients orbital cavity only to state in a puzzled trance like diatribe ..”this isn’t my face can you help me?” This ain’t no sleeper folks, we’re off to a turbo charged start. And just who is that triangle faced robe wearing fellow hanging around the hospitals entrance?

To make matters even more intriguing poor old Daniel (the sleepy areas confused local Sherrif) is having visions. A stratosphere laced with shifting stars, clouds with menacing qualities and vast areas of undulating torn crimson flesh. But wait, the robed fellow has friends and they’re moving in, albeit slowly, to cordon off the hospital and the questionable, enigmatic creature(s) within. Did I mention the wriggling thing protruding from another patients facial orifice? My bad! It’s honestly as if Stan Winstons Antarctic alien had an offspring who had relations with a Neil Blomkamp District 9 otherworldly denizen the result of which is pissed off and infinitely more uglier than either of those could have conjured up.

And this movie gets more interesting still…

…”I lost my daughter to the abyss. But tonight I am calling her back.”

…” I refuse to let death be the end. I defy God.” Only a few of the quotes that define the synopsis of the film. Can you see where The Void is headed yet?

In leui of dropping spoilers like breadcrumbs as I wander my way ignorantly into the depths of the forest I’ll try to merely drop vaguaries to keep potential viewers interest rather than handing them the finer points of the plot and asking them then to enjoy that which I’ve spoiled.

The Void shines throughout.

The direction is top notch, it’s characters are strong and the storyline sublime. Some of its finer points include top-notch creature FX, unexpected splatter and knowing when to not rely on carnage alone in order to give a ‘deeper’ feel for the scene. In one instance a slow pull away (I can’t think of the technical term at the moment,  slow zoom out perhaps?) as if to show a characters loss of his grasp of reality and subsequent plummet in an arena he is all too unfamiliar with. (I won’t say whom or whereabouts in the film this takes place but it is sheer film making brilliance).

The Void boils over with scenes fraught with tension, which are filmed brilliantly.

The characters each display their own foibles and voice that which all of us have thought but not nessisarly spoken in many given situations making then utterly relateable.

Even from very early on the stage is set, events transpire into what-the- fucksville and the viewer understands they’re in for one hell of a ride. The Void also goes where many before it have only ever hinted at. It’s theme explores Lovecraftian-esque lore and cult fanaticism and does it exquisitely without ever once potraying mere cinematic silliness. In an instance or two admittedly I was reminded of the earliest Hellraiser film and Uncle Frank (still a creepy perv) however The Void is strong enough within its own rights to not be seen as a copycat if anything it’ll inspire more to delve into the same mythos (it’s here that I should mention Re-Animator, From Beyond and the excellent grossly underrated Dagon). Of course the ‘triangle’ seen throughout this feature is utilized throughout many cultures. It features on the dollar bill with surrounding conspiracies in regards to its meaning,  more recently as a symbol translating a warning to all who gaze upon it.

In conclusion, because many have covered this in much more detail before me,  The Void is an hour and a half of sheer cinamatic gold with obvious influence coming by way of early Carpenter and Fulci. A movie that holds the attention and mesmerizes with its quality it has the power to toss it’s viewers back to their younger genre days when others had much the same impact. The Void delivers across the board and then some without pandering to beaten-to-pulp cliches of the genre or resorting to one tactic that’s killing today’s horror scene the ‘jump scare’.

The films conclusion is left open to sequel territory in glorious fashion, but only time will tell if this is a path the filmmakers will decide to traipse upon. Until then, I suggest without reservation to seek out a copy, by all means take The Void experience… you can thank me later.

I’ve got the film, but I’m going to upgrade. A shirt would be nice (I’ll act like a billboard why the hell not) and a blu ray would be a great addition to my obscene fan boy library. But enough about me, what about you? What are you waiting for…?

Cult