Film Reviews

Wake Wood

• Rating:
• Director:
• Starring: Amelia Crowley
• Details: UK/90mins 18

Another film from the revitalised Hammer Horror shingle that has already churned out the excellent Let Me In, this grisly Irish film has more than enough scares and atmosphere to keep genre nuts entertained. Those with a sensitive disposition may find themselves cowering relentlessly throughout, as too may anyone who likes their films to fall within the boundaries of relative realism.
Aidan Gillen and Eva Birthistle are Patrick and Louise, a married couple who have recently lost their daughter in horrific circumstances. Moving to the remote, seemingly quant town of Wake Wood to escape the painful memories - In true horror fashion, all is not what it seems with the locals. The creepy swines have a dark, morbid secret that Patrick and Louise become inherently embroiled in.
Taken on its own merits as a low budget horror flick paying homage to creepy classic The Wicker Man, Wake Wood is an admirable success. Helmer Keating knows how to stir unease; opening the film on a horrific attack sets the dark tone, ensuring you're on edge for the duration. But Wake Wood isn't the type of film to hint at stuff and then subtly lead you down a different path; this film has f**ked up death scenes in abundance. And not that slick, Hollywood death either - an almost grimy, video nasty death.
Of course those who get their giggles from the likes of the Saw franchise may not buy into Wake Wood's purposefully basic execution. This is a film that obviously harkens back to a certain age when horror was something other than torture porn; stuff like (the original) Last House on the Left and The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. Now, I'm by no means saying that it's in any way that good, but it knows what it's doing, and really is pure horror at its core.
The kind of film people used to watch on grainy video in the 80s, this is far from perfect, and consistently silly, but horror purists should love it.

Review by Mike Sheridan