Torment

Director - Jordan Barker (The Marsh)
Starring - Katharine Isabelle (Ginger Snaps, American Mary), Robin Dunne (Teenage Space Vampires), and Peter DaCunha (The Strange and Eerie Memoirs of Billy Wuthergloom)
Release Date - 2014
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Welcome to the family"
Format - DVD (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     I don't mind if movies borrow from other movies.  Sure, people bitch and complain when the same idea is used over and over again but in the right hands it can feel new.  However, not very many filmmakers can turn the same elements from other horror films and make them feel new again.  I don't know how many films I have reviewed in my short time reviewing films that felt like I was watching a retelling of some of my favorite horror films.  Several weeks ago I was sent news that the upcoming slasher flick, Torment, was hitting DVD very soon.  The poster artwork (seen above) looked fucking fantastic so I had to see it.  I reached out to the fine folks releasing the film and they were nice enough to hook me up with a review copy and for that I thank you very much!
      The film follows Cory (Dunne), his young son Liam (DaCunha), and his new wife Sarah (Isabelle) as they travel to Cory's summer home. Sarah is having a hard time bonding with Liam.  This leads to several instances where Liam becomes distraught and runs off and eventually runs away from the couple.  After their home is burglarized the newlyweds call the local police to investigate.  Things then turn sour from there when the sheriff is murdered by a bloodthirsty "family" who take Liam as one of their own and they slaughter everyone in their path.

     I stated earlier that, if done right, I tend to enjoy horror films that borrow from other horror flicks.  That still stands, however, I really enjoy when a film becomes a melting pot of multiple ideas from multiple movies.  These movies are easy to pick out because they are horror films for fans of the genre by fans of the genre.  I really enjoyed the poster and that is what intrigued me the most about the film.  However, after looking at the poster a few times it reminded me a lot of the film Mask Maker.  However, the film itself borrows from several others.  The acting in this one is pretty solid.  I was surprised to see Katharine Isabelle in this film after her success with American Mary.  She was a pleasant surprise but sadly her talent and experience was not used to it's fullest.  A little more screen time and a little stronger character for her would have helped the film out a lot.  The story for this one is one consisting of several elements took from various other flicks like Mask Maker, Texas Chainsaw Massacre: Next Generation, and any slasher that takes place in the woods.  Though this film used elements from other films it still offers a very unique movie experience.  I really have to take my hat off to the crew behind this one for pulling the story off.  Finally, the film has several deaths but the darkness of the film makes it almost impossible to enjoy them.  This may be the press of the review copy I was sent but the film was way too dark to really get a feel for the kills and special effects.  Overall, Torment is a solid film that borrows from the past to make one hell of a future for slashers.  If you dig brooding atmosphere and brutal kills then Torment is for you!