The Id

Director - Thommy Hutson
Starring - Amanda Wyss (A Nightmare on Elm St, Charmed), Patrick Peduto (Weekly Meeting, Dark Secrets), and Jamye Grant (Death Suspect a Murder, CV Nation)
Release Date - 2015
Genre - Horror/Thriller
Tagline - "The most important man in a woman's life is her father"
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection) (Screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     A few months back I received a press release for the upcoming horror thriller The Id.  Two things struck me by this release.  The first was that it was directorial debut from Thommy Hutson who has made a name for himself in the horror community for his involvement in some of the best horror documentaries to be released in recent years.  He wrote and produced the documentaries His Name Was Jason: 30 Years of Friday the 13th, Never Sleep Again: The Elm Street Legacy, More Brains! A Return to the Living Dead, They Wont Stay Dead: A Look at Return of the Living Dead II, and Love Beyond the Grave: A Look at Return of the Living Dead III.  His work speaks for itself so I was curious to see how his first horror film would go.  The second thing that caught my eye was that it starred Amanda Wyss.  When I was younger, way before my horror obsession, I was a fan of film.  I watched every genre so I would occasionally check out horror.  When I first watch A Nightmare on Elm St. I was floored by how beautiful and provocative Amanda Wyss' character was.  I remember thinking that she should have been cast as the film's star.  Sadly, as love moved on I forgot to search for more of her films so it was nice to see her starring in a new film.  I reached out and was lucky enough to get a review copy.  Thanks guys!
     The film follows Meredith Lane (Wyss) who is the primary caregiver for her decrepit father.  When he was younger he was a violent drug which forced his wife, Meredith's mother, to flee from the abusive relationship.  Now, his body has broken down and he can no longer take care of himself.  This does not stop him from becoming emotionally and verbally abusive to Meredith.  Meredith takes it day in and day out but one day she receives a phone call from her high school boyfriend who wants to see her.  She is overcome with emotions and reminisces about when they were together.  She tells her father who starts in with his abuse again.  When she is washing him in the tub he starts in on her one more time but she snaps this time and drowns him in the tub.  She then hides the body for her date with her old flame which turns out to not be that at all.  Her old boyfriend brought his wife to meet her and introduces her as his old friend from high school.  This deeply troubles Meredith especially after she killed her very own father to be with him.  They become uncomfortable at her behavior and leave.  Not long after their departure the police arrive and search the home where they find her father's body under the bed.
     What kind of horror film will a person tackle when you know what kind of horror films they truly love?  It is no secret that Hutson is a fan of the classic slashers Friday the 13th and A Nightmare on Elm St, along with the everlasting Return of the Living Dead.  So what kind of horror film would he make for his first outing?  The acting in this one is great.  Wyss tackles a very unconventional character and gave one hell of a performance.  Her character is very hollow and withdrawn at first before she flips the switch and becomes homicidal.  She was great.  We also got an amazing performance from Patrick Peduto who portrayed her abusive father.  He was great and held nothing back.  He really made the viewer hate him.  The supporting cast is solid but their characters are not invested enough to the story to stand out.  The story for this one is not that original but does offer up unique moments.  The film following a daughter who kills her abusive father before getting caught has been played out in countless non-horror films but very rarely in a horror thriller type setting.  What makes this one feel different from the others is how we can see Meredith transcend into darkness.  She slowly started fantasizing about her former flame and then begins to dwell on her father's abuse before finally killing him.  Finally, those of you expecting blood and gore will be very upset.  The film lacks kills.  We get one that is not very entertaining but does pertain to the story.  The film's main focus is on atmosphere and character development.  Not blood and gore.  Overall, The Id is a very dark character driven piece.  The film relies heavily on tension and succeeds.  If you like stylish, slow paced thrillers then this one is for you.