Director – Rick Laprade (Death Force, Villanelle)
Starring – Michael A. LoCicero (Almost Human, Sinners), Ally Tully (Villanelle, The Witching Hour), and Marc Vos (Lucid, The Box)
Release – 2014
Rating – 4/5
Tagline – “Between Hell and Earth”
My reviews are a way for me to give back to the horror community and as a way to rant. Now, prepare for a fucking rant. Before I was writing for Horror Society I was an avid horror nerd. As much as I love horror I am not a fan of the online horror community. Most of the people in these online forums and Facebook groups just want to bitch and complain about the bad horror movies and refuse to open their eyes towards the good ones. They watch the big budget theatrical releases and turn their back on the indie scene. This is stupid. Some of the best films I have seen the last 10 years has been indie releases.
That brings me to the film Erebus. Producer turned actor, David Langill, let me know about this film several months ago and the poster really intrigued me. I waited around and then out of nowhere he sent me an online screener. Thanks David!
**Spoiler Alert**The film follows a film crew who is behind a paranormal show. They discover a New England home that has a very dark history. In 1957 a man was living there with his young wife. However, something sinister took control of his wife and turned her into something bloodthirsty and evil. The young man takes her into the cellar and locks her away in a trunk where he tries to perform rituals and spells to remove the entity from her. However, one day he fires his gun and the police hear it and comes to investigate. Once there he finds her locked away and shoots the man, wounding him. He handcuffs him to a table and lets the girl out where he meets true horror.
We then jump to the 70s and a photographer is living there. He is a crime scene photographer and is currently shooting a murder scene when he gets a glimpse of something. He starts to take pictures all around the home and discovers that there are others staying there with him and they can only be seen on camera film. We then jump to now and the film crew is preparing an episode of their show and called it quits for the night. They all head back to their rooms and that’s when something terrible happens. The spirits of the home turn deadly and starts killing the crew.**Spoiler Alert**
Indie horror is where it’s at right now and films like Erebus is steering the horror genre in the right direction. This film has style and scares which a lot of the bigger budgeted films lack. The acting in this film is great. In fact, it was spectacular. Each cast member really gave their roles their all. This goes to show how much heart and spirit goes into indie productions. We also get a good sized cameo from horror legend Michael Berryman. Sadly, he wasn’t in the film as long as I would have liked but it was nice to see him in the role regardless.
The story for this one is an anthology of sorts that plays out like one continuous story instead of a film with different stories held together by bookend segments. This film is how an anthology should be. Each story flows straight into the next with no delay. The story is perfect and perfectly executed.
Finally, the film lacks on screen deaths that the avid gorehound would like. Instead, the film relies on suspense and real horrifying tension to get a rise out of the viewer. The film is able to draw on suspense and horrifying situations reminiscent of a classic Hammer horror films. Overall, Erebus is an amazing film that shows horror is not a dying genre. The film has style, scares, and an amazing story. If you want a good horror experience then Erebus is for you. Check it out!
