Crowbar: The Killings of Wendell Graves

USA 2010
produced by
William Organ, Scott M. Phillips, Sean Schoppe for Over The Line Films
directed by Scott M.Phillips
starring Natasha Timpani, Michael Ray Clark, Suzanne Bunker, Dave Polland, Kevin George, Sarah Kobel Marquette, Charlene Westbrook, Rus Roberts, Gar Rodgers, Elizabeth Schrey, Alan Beck, Melody Ross Sawyer, Scout Sinay, Conner Criswell, Darren Fleming, Angela Mora, Barry Burnett, Sally Ross, Penny Shaw, Myrna Hughes, Christine Eisler, Brodrick Boyd
written by Scott M. Phillips, special effects makeup by Jeremy Garner

review by
Mike Haberfelner

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Veronica (Natasha Timpani) and Alex (Michael Ray Clark) have just moved into their new house in a small town somewhere in the middle of nowhere, and Veronica is just having a housewarming party with her best friends (Sarah Kobel Marquette, Charlene Westbrook) ... when she has to witness both of them being killed by a masked killer with a crowbar. And as if that wasn't troubling enough, Veronica and Alex are also faced with a weird lack of interest from the police (after all, this is a double homicide), and a lack of compassion from the neighbours. Only, Veronica and Alex's car has been sabotaged, so they can't even get the hell out of here.

In their desperation, they decide to investigate themselves, but in the first time are met with nothing but closed doors, culminating in the fact that there isn't even a police report on file about last night's double homicide. It's only in the library that they find at least some clues, like books on the region missing relevant pages, and a report on a conspiracy website on a crowbar murder having taken place in their house 15 years ago. Then though the computer suffers a seemingly spontaneous shutdown, but if gives Veronica and Alex the impression that the whole town has conspired against them.

Alex goes to the realtor (Dave Polland) to get some answers, but finds the man to be a complete whacko, and eventually, he stumbles upon the crowbar killer, but manages to make an escape.

Veronica meanwhile tries to track down the witness/survivor of the murder from 15 years ago, one Wendell Graves (Kevin George), whose parents were the victims ... and finds a nice old lady (Suzanne Bunker), who has later adopted the boy and who claims he has since died. Eventually though, the lady gets caught up in contradictions, and then Veronica is attacked by the crowbar killer but manages to defeat and kill him - only to find him to be the old lady ...

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A very nice piece of horror that finds absolute pleasure in misleading its audience: It starts out as your typical slasher to soon enter conspiracy thriller territory (a little bit reminiscent of both Wicker Man ans Stepford Wives) and eventually evolve into supernatural horror, all buttered with the David Lynchian brand of weirdness. This misleading of the audience is also mirrored in the films editing style that enjoys building up false expectations and disorienting the viewer - in a very controlled way though. On a directorial level on the other hand, the film feels totally homogenous, putting much emphasis on an atmosphere of unease and weirdness as well as creating and upholding tension and suspense.

In all, a pretty good, disturbing movie. Recommended!

review © by Mike Haberfelner

 

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