Director – Larry Wade Carrell (She Rises)
Starring – Grace Powell (Hidden in the Woods), Dylan Horne, and Larry Wade Carrell (In Fear of)
Release Date – 2011
Rating – 4/5
Tagline – “Where innocence ends, vengeance begins”
Sometimes I find a random movie I have never heard of before. Sometimes I find these flicks by searching around on Netflix and other times I find them walking down the DVD isle in a random store. Sometimes these films just happen to be amazing and it makes me think. I immediately start to wonder how horror fans can constantly bash shitty films instead of spread the word of films that kick ass?
People are always shit talking remakes, the Twilight Saga (rightfully so), and most theatrical released films. Wouldn’t it be more beneficial for the movie industry as a whole if everyone talked about the good instead of the bad. That brings me to the 2011 flick Jacob.
When I first heard of the film I assumed it was some drama flick about a religious man. I never saw any artwork for it so I just ignored it. To make matters worse, my horror fan friends never mentioned this movie so I just ignored it. That was until I saw it on Netflix. The poster drew me in and I had to give it a chance.
**Spoiler Alert**The film centers around the rowdy drunk, Otis (Carrell), who shacks up with a local widow. Her husband passed away while repairing a house with a violent past. The locals shunned her at this point and Otis was the only person to show her and her two children any attention. Her children was actually the problem.
She has a young daughter named Sissy (Powell) and a son in his mid-twentys with a severe mental disability, Jacob (Horne), that only listens to his little sister. He is very protective of her and his mother. That causes friction between him and his new step-father who becomes abusive when he drinks…which is all the time. Things take a dark turn when Otis accidentally kills Sissy over a broken trophy. Jacob finds his sister’s body and goes on a bloody rampage killing Otis and several townspeople before he is stopped.**Spoiler Alert**
If people would stop spreading shit everywhere and actually praise films that are worth it then I would have known that this film was worth watching. That also goes to say that you will never know what you are missing unless if try it out yourself. I went into this one with low expectations and left with a film that I will soon order to add to my shelf. When I finished this film I told everyone I could to give it a try because I absolutely loved it.
The acting in this film was top notch by the entire cast. Everyone put their (bloody) heart and soul into their characters and that was evident in the final product. I also want to take a second to talk about director Larry Wade Carrell’s duel role in the film. Not only did he direct the flick but he started in two roles as the brothers Otis and Billy. Carrell has a career ahead of him in front and behind the camera.
The story is a new take on an old story. The mentally unstable adult killing those that have done them wrong has been seen played out in numerous films. To be honest, I find this kind of story the most disturbing out off all the horror flicks I have seen. It is real and can easily happen. I also really enjoyed the fact that this film is a period piece. The film takes place in the 70s or 80s, for the most part, and they did a spectacular job making the film as if it really did. The costumes look great, the sets look great, and the characters fit the part. An eye for detail goes a long way on a film like this.
Finally, those looking for amazing on screen kills will not find it here. The film uses buckets of blood and the storyline to churn the viewer’s stomach instead of tons of gore. The film work out perfectly without all the gore. Overall, this is one truly disturbing flick that is beautifully crafted and well done. This film deserves a spot in your collection and I highly recommend it!
