GORE IN THE STORE
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5 STAR FAB - 1 STAR RUBBISH

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Messengers 2

 

Director: Joey Stewart. Stars: Mark Donato, Jascha Washington, Whitney Hoy, Justin Arnold. 2010. USA. Horror/Drama. 93mins.

A group of high school teens are bullied horrendously to the point that they are forced to take action and fight back. Tension rises as they plot against their enemies. As their plan falls into place they must use the strength gained from their misery as they turn the tables and use their own methods of torture to exact their own personal revenge.

Well I guess a few of you reading this will probably have already seen ‘The Final’. If you stuck around at the FrightFest sleepy queue then you would have been treated to a big screen viewing of this awesome film. Lucky you! This is the kind of film though that is going to generate a lot of mixed reactions with its content and style, some will love it, and some will loathe it. But there is a lot to say about it!

We open with a nicely crafted black and white scene to set the tone. The lack of colour here is interesting as it sets up what could be either a flash forward or a flashback. It is a very atmospheric and interesting scene that has been very carefully crafted. The film looks good. Digital cinematography, Cinemascope framing and fluid camerawork all bring in a sense of high production values to what is probably a very low budget film. Slow tension is built up in just a few shots and will last the duration.

We then cut back to colour, and a typical high school scenario. Kids in the hall, bullying. This is the key point in the film, but it isn’t overcooked. Enough is shown just to make you feel sorry for the victims and to make you hate the bullies the right amount so that you feel they deserve what is waiting for them later in the film. The opening scenes in the school are actually really stereotypical, but for once in a good way. They are very amusing and it helps to inject some humour in at the beginning of what is going to be a really dark story.

The characters are very well played. I began by thinking the popular girls weren’t very good as they just instantly pissed me off. I’m not convinced they are amazing, but I think they did a good job of actually playing really annoying characters. Kinda makes you a little more excited to think that they are heading for a world of hurt since you hate them so much. I think a lot of viewers will probably enjoy the less stereotypical and more crafted group of ‘victims’. These guys (and girl) are very well represented and it’s very easy for us to relate to them. I mean come on, who doesn’t want to go get revenge on those who bullied us at school?

The dialogue that they are given is really fresh and exciting. The characters aren’t just talking for the sake of it or to help the narrative move along. They are talking because they have real things to say. There is a lot of very deep conversation between the characters and this really helps to elevate the film. It also makes for great viewing for the relationship dynamics. The film almost becomes a character piece with less focus on the violence at some points.

I found some very interesting undertones surrounding the media violence debate here. We often hear about films getting blamed for people causing acts of violence, both in real life and also in films themselves. It is unique for a low budget film to then take that idea one step further, change it around, and have the characters deliberately planning their revenge through films they watch. It is done very subtly but a very interesting concept that brings more of a sense of realism to the characters and their actions.

The music in the film really helps to set a creepy and dramatic tone where it needs to, and then it switches to being light and comedic where it needs that (mostly in the high school halls). This contrast can also be seen in the cinematography, the difference between the bright and heavily coloured school scenes and the dark and muted scenes of the outcast kids at their homes. It really gives a sense of the disrupted lifestyles in the narrative.

At points the film becomes really creepy and terrifying. The torture scenes are realistic, sadistic and cruel. They are extremely well thought out and well executed (no pun intended) and this leads us to really feel they are justified. It really isn’t just more torture porn or violence for the sake of violence. There is a message here in this film.

It’s nice to see a revenge flick where the lines are blurred between good and evil. There is a lot of fun to be had with this film and it is definitely worth the watch. There are obvious flaws but nothing too drastic. It does however have the worst end credits I have ever seen. There are also some unanswered questions, such as how do a group of teenagers obtain a case full of automatic weapons? Sometimes the film borders on ridiculous, but it generally strikes the right balance and is a lot of fun. Just don’t take it all too seriously.

Russell Gomm.

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