Nailbiter (2013)

 

RATED- R

RUN TIME- 82 MINS

WRITER(S)- PATRICK REA AND KENDAL SINN

STARRING- JOICIE APPELL, JOHN D. BARNES AND EMILY BORESOW

DIRECTOR- PATRICK REA

Synopsis taken from IMDb

The Maguire family is forced to take sudden refuge in a seemingly abandoned storm cellar from a deadly tornado.

This is a film by Patrick Rea, a man who's done short films since back in 2002. He's won Fangoria's Blood Drive contest for his company SenoReality Pictures, along with collaborators Ryan Jones and Josh Robison.

This is yet another film that I've danced around for a bit before finally watching. Chipping away at the old stack of unwatched films one bloody step at a time. I was actually really excited to watch this one, because just reading what it was about made me metaphorically crap in my pants! It's a very well and original concept that adds claustrophobia into the mix, adding that real terror to the horror.

It takes roughly no time to pick up the ball and run with it, instantly compelling you to watch in complete silence. The suspense is in fact, nailbiting, pun intended. Hell, being caught in a tornado would scare the hell out of me, let alone all else that happens. This is a film that you can't let out of your sight, because it's a real situation, it's something that could really happen. Then we get to what's in the basement with them.

 

When thinking of this film, my mind shoots to "Jeepers Creepers". It has that same feel for me. There's a lot of mystery as of what exactly is in the basement with them, keeping you guessing and waiting for glances of it. The suspense makes you imagine something horrendous just around the corner.

Upon revealing the creature, and finding out other twists, the movie ended up letting me down. I was disappointed with it once the credits rolled. I was thirsting for more, and I felt I should have got more from it. The mystery of it all bothered me, I wanted some type of explanation.

Then, the movie sat with me for a few days. I started to like it again. I found it to be one of those films that you really have to let soak in and absorb in order to truly get it. There's still a lot to be explained, but it doesn't bother me as much now that I've ran the film through my head a few times. It's a really good creature feature. I'm thinking that as time goes on, I'll come to enjoy it more and more. Just like I did with the aforementioned "Jeepers Creepers". The point is that you're thrown into the mess with the characters, and you're fighting with them to survive.

Ultimately, this film is full of suspense, jumps and scares. It's not as great as I expected it to be, but I've come to really enjoy it! I'm sure this will be one I pull off the shelves every couple of months and rewatch. I'd love to view it with director's commentary, to really take me inside the movie. You always pick up more once you've watched it with commentary. I'm giving this movie a fair rating, because I'm still uncertain of if I'd give it higher, but I certainly wouldn't give it lower.

THIS FILM GETS 3 REAPER SKULLS OUT OF 5