Review of The Living and the Dead (2007) by Talon B — 04 Jul 2008
Relying completely on the tensions between its characters and the carefully unfolding plot to build suspense to moments of believable and ghastly terror, Simon Rumley's The Living and the Dead accomplishes more unnerving chills than a dozen slasher films put together.
Leo Bill's portrayal of manic man-child, James, takes the danger of such a juvenile presence from the ranks of B-movie fare like Spider Baby and propels it to heights so dizzying and deranged that by the first reel just sharing the same room with him onscreen is likened to being locked in a basket with a coiled infant cobra.
Roger Llyod-Pack and Kate Fahy play off his tantrums and outbursts so believably well as his worn and hopelessly patient parents that when the film kicks into full speed one can only sit white-knuckled in hopes that somehow they escape his mental delusions with their lives.
Perhaps the only element that takes away from the simple bliss of the film's impact is Rumley's reliance on fading in and out of the final scenes, which become so heavy-handed that we are reminded over and over that it's just a movie, right when we need to suspend our disbelief most.
It provides too much time to gather some composure, rather than keeping us balled-up in suspense before the relief of the end occurs. In any case, Rumley still pulls off creating more dismay and terror with his lower-budget charms than most high-scale attempts we've seen produced on this side of the pond.
This review of The Living and the Dead (2007) was written by Talon B on 04 Jul 2008.
The Living and the Dead has generally received mixed reviews.
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