The Void

If there is one thing i do not always enjoy, is CGI effects in films. There are of course films that have really good special effects, but then we have really expensive films with CGI effects, that are really awful. How many of you remember the disaster film After Earth with Will Smith ? That film is a really good example of how a lot of money was wasted for nothing. Another good example is of course Catwoman with Halle Berry. It could be one of the worst films based on a comic book characters ever. In some films you need to have really well made CGI effects, because it would not be possible to make every film with practical effects. But in the old days of film making, you had to do everything with practical effects. You could use animation of course, in some scenes, just to fill in the blank spots. But at the end of the day, practical effects were always more fun to watch. Now days most film makers rely on CGI, because you can pretty much do anything with computers. But true film makers, who really love making films, they use practical effects. Just look at the Evil Dead films, director Sam Raimi brought us some really fantastic practical effects, thanks to make up artist Tom Sullivan ( who made the make up in the first film ), while Greg Nicotero did the make up effects for the other 2 films. There are a ton of horror films that have delivered a lot of fun practical effects, but my point is that i always prefer a horror film to be made in an old school way. There is something special about seeing practical made monsters, aliens, or whatever we get to see. Independent film makers who prefer to make films, in an old school way, is of course always welcome. It is a hard business out there, and i respect new film makers that dare to go against the main stream concept. One good example of a practical effects horror film, that is not very old, is the Irish horror film The Hallow by director Corin Hardy. The creature effects, combined with the creepy Irish forest areas worked really well. Nice to see actor Joseph Mawle in a lead role, and i think he did really well. I suggest you buy a dvd or blu ray of this film, it is worth having in your collection. About a few weeks before christmas of 2016, i was reading online about an upcoming horror film called The Void. What i noticed especially was that this was supposed to be a film, made with as much practical effects as possible. This made me very curious of course . As the film came out in Sweden a couple of weeks ago on VOD and dvd, i threw myself on to check it out. Is this a gore fest for old school horror fans, or is this pure garbage ?

Police officer Daniel Carter ( Aaron Poole ) is just about to head towards the police station, when a mysterious man named James ( Evan Stern ) crawls out of the forest. He seems to be injured, so Daniel drives him to the nearest hospital. James is put to sleep, since he is hysterious. While Daniel takes a walk around the hospital, a patient is murdered by a completely insane nurse. No one knows what made her kill a patient, but suddenly it seems that a mysterius religious cult is surrounding the hospital, while the dead turn into strange creatures. What is going on ? Who are these people outside ?

I have actually watched The Void 3 times now on VOD. Why ? Because when you get a film like The Void, and you love old school practical effects, then you are served with a big feast. This is the kind of horror film you should enjoy, if you love Hellraiser. Imagine the nightmare style of Clive Barker, mixed with what seems to be a religious cult, and you can probably imagine that this is the perfect summer party. The practical effects make this film so much fun, because it reminds us of John Carpenter´s classic The Thing, but still manage to throw in some original ideas. Another detail i also enjoy about this film is that the acting is actually not bad. Most of the cast actually acts pretty good, how often do you see that in a B horror movie ? Especially from actors Aaron Poole and Daniel Fathers, they both have strong characters. I would also like to say that legendary actor Kenneth Welsh delivers with his character Dr. Richard Powell. The Void may not sound very unique if you read about the plot, but once you get into the darkness, you will experience something i can´t really explain. Transformed dead people, who turn into different creatures, looks just the way you want them to be. The location, set at a hospital, filled with different personalities may be a bit cliché, but if you can forgive this part then you won´t be disappointed. Simple details such as the religious cult clothes, works with the concept. They look creepy, with the triangle mark across their covered faces. The unexpected turns is also something positive, you can´t really figure out what will happen ( for the most part ), and this is also something to be positive about. Is this an original film ? Yes and no, it depends on how you look at some scenes. Some details do feel fresh, while some details feels like something we have seen before. Either way, i can´t say that The Void disappointed me in any way. Directors Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski have managed to deliver something special, and i have to say that they did a really good job. This is so far the best horror film i have seen this year, and i really hope people rent this film, or buy it, to show support independent film makers. Did the trailer of Fifty Shades Darker make you feel sick, or even become demon possessed ? Then i have some good news for you. The Void will make you sing, and dance, on every single street, because this is the happiest film you will see this spring. With so much gore, blood, and violence that this film give the audience, there are no excuses why you can´t buy the blu ray. Run down to your local film store and get The Void.

Rating: DDDD