Nails

British horror films have come a long way since the early day of Hammer Films. I would guess that most of you have seen some of the classic Hammer Films productions, with legendary actor Christopher Lee. There are of course other films that this company made, that many horror fans still appreciate. But it has become very clear, that British horror films continued to deliver horror entertainment, into the modern day of cinemas and on dvd. One film that comes to my mind, is the werewolf horror film Dog Soldiers. A cult classic that still delivers, and one of the few really well made British werewolf films for many years Another good example of a really good British horror film, is the film known as The Descent. Released in the year 2005, it became a hit worldwide The story of a group of women, climbing inside an enormous cave, turned into a real frightening feast. One of the things i loved about this film, was the feeling of how disturbing the situation becomes, when these strange looking creatures attacks the girls. The location of brutality, mixed with really well made cinematography, made The Descent a horror film that looked very different from the British horror catalogue. Since the film was such a hit, and made many movie critics positive, we got ourselves a sequel in the year of 2009. It was not awful, but it was clear that they could never capture the same magic as the first film. The sequel failed really big at the box office as well, so it was clear that we would not see a third film. The actor Shauna Macdonald, who had the leading role in both The Descent films, continued working with films, and i especially enjoyed her performance in the British werewolf film Howl. A film many people may not have seen, but should check out. When i watched the YouTube channel known as Geek Legion Of Doom, to check out dvd reviews, i came across a review of a film called Nails. This film looked like fun, so of course i had to pick up a dvd copy. And i also noticed that actor Shauna Macdonald is included as well, so this looked promising.  Do we have a British horror film that should please the audience, or is this a film that never should have been made at all ?

Dana Milgrom ( Shauna Macdonald ) wakes up in a hospital bed. She was hit by a car, and is badly injured. She needs a machine to breathe, and her voice is not ok. To communicate she uses a computer speaking voice, to make sure everyone will understand her. Her husband Steve Milgrom ( Steve Wall ) and their teenage daughter Gemma Milgrom ( Leah McNamara ) visit her, to make sure she gets all the help she needs. But Dana is experiencing some strange events inside her room. Someone seems to be visiting her, a strange looking man. This man seems to be coming back, trying to tell her something. Dana digs into the past of the hospital, where she finds out that a man who worked here, Eric Nilsson ( Richard Foster-King ), killed himself in the same room that she is lying in. Dana digs deeper into the truth, not knowing what secrets she might unleash. 

If you don´t like hospitals, and you don´t like to see something creepy walking around hospital beds, then this is not the film for you. However, if you do enjoy this combination, then Nails should hit the right spot. This is a horror film, that does not need a big budget to work. The atmosphere surrounding the hospital, and the evil creature walking around, is a great way to start Sunday Tea Time. I would not say that Nails is very original in any way, from a horror film perspective. But the creature does look scary, and works really well with the story. The story itself is very simple, but that´s ok. You don´t need to make a complicated story, if you have a great character that this film relies on. The main character known as Dana, ( played by actor Shauna Macdonald ), is clearly a patient who has to try and fight her way back to ordinary day life. Shauna does a great job, acting in a hospital bed, using a computer voice. She is perhaps the strongest character of this film, since she is so vulnerable as a badly injured patient. We also get to find out the origins behind the story of Nails, who he was before he killed himself. There is also an explanation to why he is called Nails, and i have to say it turns out to be a pretty effective background. The special effects looks ok for the most part, except for a few details. The acting from the other actors are not really top class. But in the end, what we really care about is the main character Dana, and the creature known as Nails. Director Dennis Bartok, have worked as a writer on short films, including on the horror film Trapped Ashes. Nails is his directorial feature film debut, and i have to say he have done a good job. Nails may not be a horror classic in any way, but it is better than i expected. And when you have a straight to dvd release that actually works, you have to feel pleased. Since Christmas is around the corner, why not put on a kettle of water, prepare some tea and biscuits, and gather the family in front of the TV with Nails on dvd. One thing is clear, if i ever end up at a hospital, no creepy dude with nails is coming near me......

Rating: DDD