For any and all aspiring horror filmmakers out there, The Void will (or at least should) represent a textbook case of how-to and how-not-to craft a low-budget horror film. It’s tough when a film can excel so excitingly in certain areas while dropping the ball almost totally in others, leaving audiences both exhilarated and let down in the process. The Void does exactly this with its incredibly sparse details and teasing through imagery. Loaded with one impressive shot after another, it manages to overcome its shortcomings and function as a fitting tribute to the likes of both John Carpenter and H.P. Lovecraft.
Written and directed by Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski, The Void takes place in a soon-to-be abandoned hospital in a nondescript town in the middle of nowhere America. When a local police officer (Aaron Poole) encounters a wounded young man (Evan Stern) stumbling through the woods, he gets him straight to said hospital where his estranged wife (Kathleen Munroe) is the head nurse on duty. Soon after their arrival, a pair of gun-toting men (Daniel Fathers and Mik Byskov) arrive proclaiming that unless the young man is killed, everyone will be doomed at the hands of an unexplainable evil heading towards them. This includes a number of hooded, knife-wielding figures surrounding the hospital, trapping everyone inside.
Fortunately for horror fans, The Void has plenty of the elements that make a good horror film packed into its 90-minute runtime. The film plunges the audience right into the story in a no-holds barred fashion, establishing an incredibly brutal tone for things to come. The setting of a nearly-abandoned hospital proves to be a totally ideal choice for the events to take place in, at least according to horror movie protocol. The Void is also so beautifully shot with a sharp eye for colors, perspective and detail; somewhat surprising for such a low-budget feature. As for the horror of the story, there are two kinds: the first is a slasher which comes right out of Carpenter with its vintage feel and penchant for genuine surprise over outright gore. On the flip side however, The Void is a completely engrossing and entertaining as a creature feature; one of the best that’s been seen in ages as a matter of fact. The dazzling assortment of creature effects used here are simply out of this world spectacular and give off the kind of feel which would come straight from the world of Lovecraft with its demented qualities which make it beyond hard to look away.
Sadly, as a genre entry, The Void can really only be enjoyed for its visuals and suspense since anything dealing with characters and story more or less fails to come up with anything original or remotely interesting. This is especially sad to report since the only time the film gets bogged down is when it tries to paint its characters as people. There are attempts at creating solid character dynamics, which makes the movie feel incredibly slow and monotonous thanks to the triteness of the way these people are written. Devices such a broken marriage, a past tragedy, and competing with a dead relative are all narrative contrivances which inevitably do nothing but take away from the fun of things. Other conventions which genre fans will no doubt roll their eyes at include the likes of a pregnant girl eventually going into labor, minor characters becoming unexpected heroes, and adversaries joining forces. Even the villain’s long, drawn-out wrap about his reasons for causing the horror which is taking place around everybody is boring and uninspired.
What The Void has going for it the most is that it’s completely indie and unpretentious, while also managing to carry with it both a sense of mystery and intimacy throughout. I’m sure I’m not alone in saying that the film certainly could have done without that final scene and just left it more of a curious puzzle than the filmmakers did. At the same time, however, I can appreciate the fact that this movie doesn’t play safe with certain elements, such as who survives and who doesn’t. Much like Stranger Things, The Void is a tribute that’s infused with and carried by its inspirations, rather than operating as a cheap imitation of them. At the same time, the film still manages some genuine terror because of the places its willing to go. It might be safe to say that The Void will almost only be remembered for its near-breathtaking visuals and effects, but in this case that’s far from being a bad thing.
The Lowdown
Narrative shortcomings aside, The Void is one of those indie horror gems which prove the genre still has enough fear to give its fans.
The Void is available on May 9th on Blu-ray and DVD from Cinedigm Entertainment.
Get it at Amazon:
The Void — [DVD] | [Amazon Video]
Blu-ray available exclusively at Diabolik DVD.
