I was going to call this article, “Did Chill give me chills?” but there’s only really so many times I can use puns when talking about this movie.
Yesterday, I was privileged enough to see a rough cut of the first hour of a new horror film called Chill. This horror film will premiere to cast, crew, and friends this February and then will be heading to the film festival circuit. Creators are looking for feedback and you guys know I always give constructive criticism. So I sat down on my computer and watched the rough cut of Chill on my computer.
I don’t like to give away a lot of information, in hopes of keeping all the surprises surprising, so forgive me as I dance around certain subjects in regards to Chill. This horror feature is directed by Noelle Bye and Meredith Holland under Mouse Nest Productions. Ms. Holland wrote Chill with some help from Roger Conners and director Noelle Bye. All three of these crew members (Bye, Holland, Conners) also served as producers.
In Chill, a college game exists that took the lives of several students in 1990. In the present day, the game is being resurrected and the creators are hoping to sell the concept as a web series and video game to a large corporation. Unfortunately for production staff, participants, media outlets, and viewers – someone is out there who doesn’t want to see the game of Chill make a come back. The killer is haunting the halls of the “Chill Building” and butchering as many participants as possible in hopes of sabotaging any hopes of Chill becoming a household name.
There are some things I can say because they are mostly nonrelated to big plot points. As far as characters go – forgive me, I’m terrible with names – “Burlesque Performer,” “News Reporter,” and “Goth Blogger” are my favorites. Characters in Chill are very likable and fleshed out, minus three of them, and this is really a rarity in horror film now adays. Anyone who is a lead or supporting role gets room to grow and no one is a throw away character. In terms of acting performances, I can’t complain. Based on the first hour of Chill that I was able to view, there wasn’t a need for any over the top or Oscar Award winning performances.
But this leads me to my next Chill point. The first 45 minutes read like a good murder mystery book. The first 45 minutes do a fantastic job at giving the characters story, going in depth into the game of Chill, and gives you clues into mysteries that surround the games both past and present. It’s not until the second half of the film that Chill becomes a full fledged slasher flick and the gore starts to kick in. If you’re looking for torture porn or a brutal time, this isn’t the movie for you. If you’re looking for a murder mystery with heavy slasher elements, than Chill is definitely the movie for you.
What more can I say? The rough cut was just what it means…rough. I can’t say this audio was bad, or this take was bad, or that anything really bad because I take it for what it was meant to be… A taste of things to come. I know that I enjoyed the script, the direction, the characters and their acting abilities, the setting, and the little gore I saw. Do I think that Chill is going to be this big global phenomenon? No. But I do think it will end up being a horror movie that should be seen at least once, especially by fans of horror who enjoy an in depth plot. I know can’t wait for the final cut.
I will keep all of the interested readers at Horror Society updated on Chill as updates start to roll in. In the meantime, “like” the film on Facebook [here].
