Director – Corinna Faith (Nature, The Beast)
Starring – Mark Smith (Burke and Hare, Wild Child), Marley Chesham, and Rose Williams (Reign, Curfew)
Release Date – 2021
Rating – 4/5
Shudder just keeps giving horror fans exactly what they want. After joining Shudder’s streaming service earlier in the year I’ve found myself getting excited for their releases through RLJE Films. Some are duds but a good majority of them have been absolutely phenomenal.
Sometime back Shudder released The Power on their streaming platform and many genre fans were praising it on social media. I never did get around to checking it out but when RLJE sent over the DVD for me to review I couldn’t wait to check it out. It’s not often that I look forward to spinning a film that most people enjoy but the trailer and artwork really caught my interest. I want to thank RLJE for sending this one over!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a young nurse who wants to dedicate her time at the local hospital in hopes of finding some sort of family that she never had growing up as an orphan. However, what she soon discovers is that the hospital is harboring a dark secret that can be traced back to the administration. Soon she is fighting for her life while a dark presence reveals itself to her while it seeks revenge. **Spoiler Alert**
I was really digging the artwork and trailer for The Power but I didn’t expect this film to have the choking atmosphere and classic horror tension like it did. This film is marvelous on many different levels and I can’t wait for my next visit. Stop reading this review right now and head to Shudder where you can check it out.
The acting in this is great. Rose Williams makes the film and she goes all in for her performance. She has several intense scenes where she fully dedicates herself to the performance. I was extremely impressed by how far she was willing go which adds another chilling aspect to an already terrifying film. The supporting cast only adds to this stellar performance.
The story for this one is something we haven’t necessarily seen before but the incredible atmosphere and tension, mixed with the amazing cast, comes together to create something that is not only an import film but an import modern genre film that must be seen. The film has perfect pacing, smooth dialogue, and the tension comes to a boil damn near perfectly. I really enjoyed how this one was written and the twist was not expected.
Finally, the film has some pretty fun practical effects with some blood. It’s not the most gruesome scenes I had scene but they were still enjoyable. Also, the film has some pretty impressive visual effects as well. Overall, The Power is a must see for horror fans regardless of your favorite sub-genre. It was a lot of fun and I know most of you will enjoy it as well. Check it out.
