Lately there has been a proliferation in low budget horror flicks. Unfortunately most of them appear to be all cut from the same flimsy cloth. These are the type of movies are usually aptly described as slash and dash or blood and boobs flicks. They consist solely of a group of teenagers off in some remote location for an evening of sex, drugs and alcohol when then happen upon the home turf of an insane and often supernatural serial killer. This specific sub genre of horror is most popular with high school and college aged guys and for many are the thing to see when they are out on a Friday night in a group. For those of us you have lived though a few more decades these films represent the decline of a once proud and exciting film genre. Horror has always been popular but in its prime there was content that drove the fright and a story behind the terror. The classic horror films of the thirties were tame by today’s standards but at the time they scared the wits out of the audience. It has gotten to the point were any horror movie that makes an honest try at breaking away from the hackney pack is starting out ahead of the curve. This is what has occurred with the movie ‘Dark Reprieve’ by film maker Richard Boddington. Admittedly the film has its share of missteps but it represents what in all ways comes across as an honest try at moving the genre back to its glory days. As a film buff for the last five decades or so I have to admire the intestinal fortitude that it takes for a new film maker to strike out on a path that diverges from the current proven methodology.

The fact is lamentable hack the teen flicks sell; if not in the theaters at least in the home theater market. It is a way to ensure a modest budget will be recouped hailing the film as a financial success. This gives the film makers a chance to continue working and the producers happy with the bottom line. Then there are people like Mr. Boddington who obviously care about the films they make. They make lack experience, but that will come in time but they want to deliver more than a few cheap thrills in their work. This film was made for less than a million dollars. Now that may seem like a lot of money, especially in today’s economy, but it is a pittance to work with. A typical blockbuster flick will spend more than that on the trailer for its star. After watching hundreds of horror flicks in my lifetime I can excuse technical mistakes as long as there is evidence of an effort being made to make the best movie possible with extremely limited resources and that is what is going on with this film. The DVD distribution of the film is being handled by Image Entertainment and they have proven track record for giving worth while little movies a chance at reaching an audience. This film could have been better but at least the cast and crew are on the right track.

Katrina Rodriguez has her feature film screenplay debut with this story. She had a previous short horror screenplay but now she had to face holding together a longer story. She has a strong understanding of some of the required elements for a good horror story and that is what helps differentiate this from the run of the mill tales that dominate the genre. In most successful horror stories, a more than a few unsuccessful one, there is an element that is required to set the stage. This is isolation. There has to be a sense of helplessness on the part of the protagonists that comes across to the audience. This is even evident in the classic camp fire spooky stories that always begin with phrases like ‘a dark and stormy night’ or ‘on a deserted country road’. Many horror writers take the easy way out with the proverbial haunted house or remote woodland. Here Rodriguez chooses a deserted building and places her two victims within its inescapable walls. In some ways this reminded me of the cult classic ‘Cube’ where a group of people awaken in a strange and deadly environment unaware of how they got there. This immediately sets up a touch of mystery that helps to build the suspense that is required for the ultimate pay off. There is also a parallel plot line involving a beautiful model being questioned by the police over a series of murders. The story builds to a denouement and that is the major problem with the screenplay. There is a let down to the all important pay off moment. With a script like this everything hinges on that one final reveal. When that instant is not up to the expectation built by the preceding scenes the film can’t achieve the level that was anticipated. It is extremely difficult to pull this off and the fact that Rodriguez chose this as the format for her first full scrip shows that she has the courage to experiment. With a few more screenplays behind her I am certain that she will get it right.

This is also the first feature length movie for director Richard Boddington. As is the case with many independent movies he had to wear numerous hats to get this film out. He not only directed but he produced, edited and handled the cinematography. Being relatively new to all these fields he is still on the learning curve and it shows to some degree in this film. That may be the case but there is the essence of far greater things present here. His style is a refreshing change from the lamentable norm. He balances the need for exposition with keeping the pace moving along. This is hard to do with two interwoven story arcs. He has to bring them together at just the perfect time. While that was off it is evident that the attempt was well intended. Boddington creates the proper mood with the use of lighting and shadow and avoids the new comer’s perchance of fancy camera tricks. He keeps the voyeuristic feel to the camera pulling in tight in many shots creating an intimate feel that draws in the audience.

Imagine the fright of awakening in a strange room with no clue as to wear you are or how you got there. This is the plight that Kate (Janelle Bartosek) and Matt (Shawn Storer) find themselves. The deserted building they are in offers little to answer their growing questions. They begin to discover clues that there are five others around but that only deepens the mystery. Meanwhile in a police station a beautiful model, Raquel Lake (Sarah Jackson) is being questioned by Detective Marks (Liam Card). Part of that line of questions concerns the fate of five people.

If you love film and want to see a return to classic horror with meaning than support this film. It is not perfect but if enough people give it a try and these talented people are afforded the opportunity to continue to grow we might just have an alternative from the slash and dash flicks. Give it a chance and enjoy it.