One accusation frequently levelled against the horror genre is that many films lack originality. Admittedly, there are many horror movies being made today which are highly derivative and often lazy. There are, however, a growing number of distinctly unique films being made. Killer tyres, mould, houses, beds and unfortunately situated teeth, to name but a few. Thousands of people die in accidents in the bath every year but few are murdered by a malignant shower curtain.
When Danni (Danni Smith) swaps Uncle Gus’ (Rick Zahn) couch and a stressful nursing job for her own apartment and work raising money to save the whales, it looks like her life may be getting back on the right path. However, when her shower curtains begin disappearing into a void she worries that she’s losing her grip on reality. With the aid of eco-warrior Tim (Tim Lueke), Danni is determined to uncover the truth.
Funded through a Kickstarter campaign, whether you’ll enjoy Jaron Henrie-McCrea’s film or not will depend on whether you’re prepared to go with the premise. If you are, you’ll be treated to a very understated horror which fuses an offbeat vibe with sharp, short shocks. It would be fair to say that Curtain is more of a curiosity than a top horror film, but some inventive use of the camera and a rather odd sub-plots about whales makes it an entertaining experience.
Curtain is released by Frightfest Presents and is available on demand and digital HD from Monday.
