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Directed by Anthony Di Blasi Starring Jackson Rathbone, Shaun Evans and Hanne Steen Psychological Thriller USA/UK 91 minutes. See clip

DVD release date 29th March 2010. RRP: £7.99. BUY NOW

Three college students decide to do a Kinsey-esque study on fear. They ask participants to reveal their innermost terrors on camera but one of the three wants to take the study further and subject people to what they are most afraid of.

This is an adaptation of the short story by Clive Barker from his Books of Blood, a series of short stories which has already spawned the movies Candyman, Lord of Illusion, The Midnight Meat Train and Book of Blood. The movie begins with a chance meeting between student film maker Stephen(Jackson Rathbone) and the enigmatic Quaid(Shaun Evans), which results in them joining with Cheryl(Hanne Steen) to interview people on their fears and darkest experiences. As the study continues we start to see Quaid behave more and more erratically as he memories of his parents brutal murder resurface. Disappointed by the predictable answers the students turn the camera upon themselves to find that truly honest traumatic experience. Predictably this reveals them all to have experienced life changing disturbing moments in childhood(sexual abuse, witnessing the murder of their parents and the death of a brother). Quaid, who we have seen stop taking his medication, decides they all need to face their fears in a cathartic way. Unfortunately this is where the film goes a cliché too far for me. I was disappointed to see all the staples of the teen chillers, loud inappropriate songs, too much sex and nudity, overuse of flashback, unnecessary flickering lights and every character character(especially Quaid) spouting awkward stunted dialogue. This is best shown with this pearl from Quaid ‘I want your soul to open up for me, spread eagle like a split beaver so I can gaze into it’s secrets’.

I can normally accept one or two clichés in a film this serious so this was a little much for me. For me this is another in the long line of Barker adaptations that just doesn’t work. The young actors seem to struggle with the slightly contrived script, I wonder if Barker’s material is more suited to staying in written form.

On a positive note, the film does deliver with a couple of gory moments, particular an early flashback of one character’s parent’s death. Also, when the already unstable Quaid pushes Cheryl to the limit of her dread, we see her doing the only thing she can to survive.

Unfortunately the good moments are few and far between and the film is too dark, in character, lighting and tone. I didn’t feel any empathy for any of the characters as they put themselves in the position for all their falls by not walking away from the deeply disturbed Quaid. The DVD does seem to be marketed as starring Jackson Rathbone from the Twilight Saga so at least one of the actors has went on to bigger and ..... well bigger things.

Colin Bennett.

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