Review of Pontypool (2009) by Mark S — 17 Jul 2010

A clever and smart horror movie, thus, not the kind of movie for most "horror fans" out there. Just check some reviews ("it's a zombie movie with no zombies, DERP!) For the rest of us who are tired and sick of every new insipid zombie movie, every stupid "scary" movie using a handheld camera, and every other derivation of the same slasher film Pontypool is psychological horror heaven.

Now, the movie is not without it's flaws, you could say it's trying to chew way too many topics at the same time. But first of all, this is a truly atmospheric movie. Sure, there are some common places, almost right from the beginning there's the usual shot of somebody slamming his/her hand on a car window, among other stuff. Neverless, the movie builds up tension thanks to it's inventive nature, and because it actually believes the audience has a working brain, and let's the viewer use their mind to expand the experience. We never see most of what is happening, but we hear it, and it's far more chilling that way, and way more rewarding. Instead of showing us the old tired scenes of devastation we are left with just the screams of the dying, the sense of an inminent death approaching at almost every turn.

A film like this one needs strong performances, and well written dialogues. Pontypool has both, with some gaps here and there. A doctor goes in full 50s monster movie/scientific explanation, complete with dramatic acting. Neverless, Pontypool remains an effective psychological horror piece, and a very well made comentary on the media, the deformation of language, and how this corruption of information can become a "virus" and infect people. Making them repeating words without even knowing the meaning behind the words. In this era of viral marketing, internet memes and what not this resonates a lot.