Starring - Chris Sheffield (The Maze Runner, CSI: Miami), Michaela McManus (The Vampire Diaries, The Orville), and Neville Archambault (The Wolf of Snow Hollow, History of the World: Part II)
Release Date - 2020
Genre - Horror/Sci-Fi
Format - UHD (Personal Collection) (Screener)
Rating (out of 5):
I get a lot of strange films in to review. These range from re-releases of classics to lost S.O.V. flicks and a good chunk of indie releases. However, I sometimes get a film in that really peaks my curiosity especially if it's one I had never heard of before. A few weeks back Synapse Films sent over the 2020 mystery horror film The Block Island Sound. The artwork didn't really do anything for me but the title and synopsis on the back really pulled me in. I want to thank Synapse for taking the time to send this one over!
The film follows a young man who begins to hallucinate after the death of his father. He was lost at sea and when his body washes up on the shore strange things begin to happen to him. He finally tells his sister and she finds another man who suffered from the same ailment. She discovers that they both are pawns of something more sinister who is using them to bring living creatures to a specific spot in the ocean so it can take them.
The Block Island Sound is a film that has phenomenal atmosphere and tension but fails to deliver on the compelling story. Hell, even the jump scares fails to find their marks. I seriously wanted to like this one but the story just didn't pull me in. The acting in this one is very well done. I've said that a lot lately but this film really impressed me with it's casting. A lot of these names are fairly new to me but they delivered some great performances. They do one hell job bring the characters to life and the film wouldn't be half as enjoyable as it is if it wasn't for them. The story for this one is very interesting on paper but the execution left much to be desired. I loved the idea of a supernatural presence in the ocean driving people insane and forcing them to sacrifice living things to them. Sadly, that's about the extent of the story that held my attention. The family dynamic continuously throws itself in your face. Instead of just one or two scenes establishing the family is at odds with itself, it has to throw it into each scene to the point it becomes a running joke that delivers some unintentional laughs. Also, the "tributes" brought to the sea should sucked into the sky is the goofiest thing I've seen in a movie. So many more menacing ways to take them could have been used instead of this. Finally, the film tries to deliver on some jump scares but is unable to do so. They are extremely slow and feel cheap rather than effective. The film doesn't have a body count but we do get some solid looking make-up effects. Overall, The Block Island Sound had so much promise but couldn't pull it all together into something memorable. I seriously wanted to like it but it just wasn't for me.
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