Altered
3/4
Starring: Adam Kaufman, Brad William Henke, Mike C. Williams, Paul McCarthy-Boyington, Catherine Mangan
Rated R for Strong Violence and Gore and for Pervasive Language
Like many movies, "Altered" is obviously flawed, but the end result is worth seeing. It could be argued that the film is more of a psychological thriller than a straight horror film. The plot is a little jerky early on, but the acting is solid and there's a consistent level of tension from the get-go.
A trio of rednecks, big Duke (Henke), dim bulb Otis (Williams), and loose cannon Cody (McCarthy-Boyington) are hunting in the woods at night carrying big guns and a harpoon. They catch what they're looking for, but this makes them extremely nervous. They decide to take what they've caught (it's still alive) to their old friend Wyatt (Kaufman). He won't like it, but he'll know what to do. Now the four of them, plus Wyatt's girlfriend Hope (Mangan), have a dangerous alien on their hands, which they can't kill because doing so will spell doom for the entire planet.
Most thrillers rely on a sense of claustrophobia to build tension. "P2," "The Descent," and so on. The logic is sound; many people get extremely uncomfortable or fearful in enclosed spaces. Replicating that on screen is a definite way to get you audience on the edge of their seats (just thinking about the scene in "The Descent" where Sarah gets stuck in the hole gets me tense). Director Eduardo Sanchez does a solid job of accomplishing this. Save for the beginning and the end, the film takes place entirely in Wyatt's house.
The performances are quite good for a horror movie. Leading the pack is Adam Kaufman. I was blown away by his guest role on an episode of "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" (he stars in the season 2 premiere 'Wrong is Right'). Every emotion Wyatt gives, be it fear, sadness, or anger, rings true. His cast members are also good, none of whom strike a wrong note (it's worth mentioning that Mike C. Williams played "Mike" in "The Blair Witch Project"). The only performance that doesn't work is Catherine Mangan, who is stiff as Hope. Fortunately, she's not that bad and she doesn't have a lot of screen time.
The film is on solid ground in terms of plot, although Sanchez reveals his story obliquely; the characters know more than they're telling and only after a while do we begin to understand what's going on. This sort of thing can work ("Donnie Darko" did something similar to masterful effect), but I felt a little frustrated. Another rewrite or two would have made it work better. And while there is atmosphere, there's not enough to ratchet up the tension to unbearable levels.
Still, for a horror movie that I got in a 4-pack at Best Buy, it's worth seeing.
Starring: Adam Kaufman, Brad William Henke, Mike C. Williams, Paul McCarthy-Boyington, Catherine Mangan
Rated R for Strong Violence and Gore and for Pervasive Language
Like many movies, "Altered" is obviously flawed, but the end result is worth seeing. It could be argued that the film is more of a psychological thriller than a straight horror film. The plot is a little jerky early on, but the acting is solid and there's a consistent level of tension from the get-go.
A trio of rednecks, big Duke (Henke), dim bulb Otis (Williams), and loose cannon Cody (McCarthy-Boyington) are hunting in the woods at night carrying big guns and a harpoon. They catch what they're looking for, but this makes them extremely nervous. They decide to take what they've caught (it's still alive) to their old friend Wyatt (Kaufman). He won't like it, but he'll know what to do. Now the four of them, plus Wyatt's girlfriend Hope (Mangan), have a dangerous alien on their hands, which they can't kill because doing so will spell doom for the entire planet.
Most thrillers rely on a sense of claustrophobia to build tension. "P2," "The Descent," and so on. The logic is sound; many people get extremely uncomfortable or fearful in enclosed spaces. Replicating that on screen is a definite way to get you audience on the edge of their seats (just thinking about the scene in "The Descent" where Sarah gets stuck in the hole gets me tense). Director Eduardo Sanchez does a solid job of accomplishing this. Save for the beginning and the end, the film takes place entirely in Wyatt's house.
The performances are quite good for a horror movie. Leading the pack is Adam Kaufman. I was blown away by his guest role on an episode of "Law and Order: Special Victims Unit" (he stars in the season 2 premiere 'Wrong is Right'). Every emotion Wyatt gives, be it fear, sadness, or anger, rings true. His cast members are also good, none of whom strike a wrong note (it's worth mentioning that Mike C. Williams played "Mike" in "The Blair Witch Project"). The only performance that doesn't work is Catherine Mangan, who is stiff as Hope. Fortunately, she's not that bad and she doesn't have a lot of screen time.
The film is on solid ground in terms of plot, although Sanchez reveals his story obliquely; the characters know more than they're telling and only after a while do we begin to understand what's going on. This sort of thing can work ("Donnie Darko" did something similar to masterful effect), but I felt a little frustrated. Another rewrite or two would have made it work better. And while there is atmosphere, there's not enough to ratchet up the tension to unbearable levels.
Still, for a horror movie that I got in a 4-pack at Best Buy, it's worth seeing.
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