There’s so much we don’t know about the cosmos and our hierarchy in it. Earth is but a tiny speck in all that exists, after all. That’s why cosmic horror tales are so enthralling for many people. They play on our real fears that perhaps we are not as significant as we think we are. And, like extinct species, there could be something that threatens our existence. Or, if we keep trying to commune with the greater universe, it may answer back in ways we cannot imagine. From classic Lovecraft stories like The Call of the Cthulhu to films like Nope, this subgenre has much to offer. But today, I want to celebrate one of its truly underrated offerings: The Void (2016).
**Writer’s Note: If you have any photosensitivity issues, The Void has more than one scene featuring lots of flashing lights that could trigger your condition. The below trailer also has intense flickering elements.**
The premise of this Canadian film sounds like something that Stephen King would’ve conjured during one of his drug-fueled writing sessions. A small group of people are trapped in a derelict hospital by both a cult of people wearing white hoods (no, not those people) and gnarly creatures looking for their next victim. Written and directed by Astron-6’s Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie and partially co-funded by Indiegogo donations, The Void is classic indie fare that maximized its low-budget with minimal sets and limited cast.
It tips its hat to the glory of gory 1980s horror in virtually every stylistic choice. There are solid practical effects over CGI, a dark and moody atmosphere, and some questionable lighting. Watching it in a dimly lit or even blacked-out room (the best way, tbh) conjures a creepy dread in the pit of your stomach. In fact, this story feels like The Thing and Event Horizon had a demon spawn. The Void‘s characters, while not the most compelling overall, are equal parts chaotic, pathetic, bizarre, and downright funny. There’s just enough under their surface to make you want to dig deeper.
The film’s protagonist, Daniel Carter (Aaron Poole), is a deputy sheriff trying and failing to follow in his father’s career footsteps. He’s a bit naive, mostly frustrated, and a lot of an asshole but he wants to ultimately do the right thing, even in the scariest situation of his life. Things kick off when he finds a man who appears to be bleeding and behaving strangely on the road. Daniel takes him to the hospital which, like all good horror movie hospitals, is mostly abandoned with a skeleton crew. One of those people includes his estranged wife Allison.
From there, things quickly spiral into an eldritch mess after discovering that the not-so-dead are mutating into grotesque creatures. This leaves the small group, including a pregnant teen, a very suspicious doctor, and a wide-eyed intern, in a lurch. Meanwhile, there is a band of robed figures outside of the hospital who are preventing anyone from leaving. Daniel and company fight for survival all night while trying to uncover the dark secrets that lie in those walls. And boy, do those secrets get weirder and more uncomfortable by the moment while also touching on how loss and grief can drive someone into a dark place.
Is The Void a masterpiece of poignant dialogue and storytelling? Not exactly. The plot can get a little muddy and not every single line sticks its landing. It is what it is: a frantic, bloody, and intense entertaining body horror adventure with genuinely shocking plot twists. It’s an ambitious and wholly bizarre counterbalance to the “elevated” horror that is now at the forefront of the genre. Sometimes, ya just wanna watch something that is uncomfortable and hella strange with nightmare fuel creatures and some trippy communion s**t.
It stays deep in its pastiche pocket, and isn’t afraid to be brutal and to create a situation where there’s more tragedy that triumph and more cloudiness than clarity. The Void‘s pulse of nostalgia and some truly thrilling elements make it a perfect watch to get your own heartbeat rising as Halloween nears…or for any time of the year.
You can stream The Void for free on Tubi, Prime Video, and Plex.
The post THE VOID (2016) Is an Underrated Cosmic Horror Gem appeared first on Nerdist.
This articles is written by : Nermeen Nabil Khear Abdelmalak
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