Review of Preservation (2014) by Byron W — 02 Jun 2016

Initially, it's quite endearing, covering up a horror movie's usual clichés, but come the fighting-for-their-lives middle act, the movie finds itself caught short between two genres. On one hand lies a stick fashioned into a makeshift spear, ready for violence and torture, in the other is held a pregnancy test, with Wit and Sean figuring out their future.

This isn't to say that horror movies shouldn't have emotional underpinning - the best ones often do. It's just that Preservation doesn't manage its fundamental parts. The horror side isn't scary enough (the assailants' revelation isn't nearly as shocking as the movie thinks it is) and the heart, despite the players' best efforts (Denham's strength is clearly in directing actors), is forced, emotions too quickly flipping from one extreme to the other.

And that's the real downfall of Preservation - in trying to hit multiple keys, it becomes remarkably one-note. In story, in action, in characters. More ardent horror fans will enjoy its game of survival chess, but, ultimately, the movie brings nothing new to the genre.