The Butcher Brothers deliver a story of a family (The Hamiltons) who must travel from place to place because each time they move something goes wrong and the police show up. Could it somehow be related to the women that they tie up in the cellar? The youngest brother begins to to think this family tradition is something that must end.
In many ways there's nothing new to this movie. I'm sure if you think about it, you can find a film where a family member does bad things, the family protects him or her and when caught they move on. Sadly, the first thing that comes to my mind is Stephen King's "Sleepwalkers" (although some comparisons could be made). So in that respect, nothing shocking here.
But, I still felt there was something -- I don't know what -- special about this film. I think it might be how the plot was more focused on the family relationship and dynamics than with the horror aspects. Yes, there are girls tied up in the cellar. But the main focus is how the brothers relate to each other with the parents being deceased. Sort of like a dysfunctional "Party of Five" (although I guess "POF" was never that functional).
There is a bit of sexuality here for those who need it, including some scenes of two women getting friendly. The gore is very modest, mostly just a trickle of blood here and there. But these things the film lacks are made up for in the strength of the characters. The lead (the older brother) is not a great actor compared to the rest, but it still comes off as mostly believable.
The 2006 After Dark festival wasn't known for its quality films (though I enjoyed a few of them). This was one of the better ones. Give it a spin if you're looking for a character-driven low budget film. While nothing near the masterpiece that "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" is, this will provide the viewer an inner glimpse of the mind of a killer. And his family.
In many ways there's nothing new to this movie. I'm sure if you think about it, you can find a film where a family member does bad things, the family protects him or her and when caught they move on. Sadly, the first thing that comes to my mind is Stephen King's "Sleepwalkers" (although some comparisons could be made). So in that respect, nothing shocking here.
But, I still felt there was something -- I don't know what -- special about this film. I think it might be how the plot was more focused on the family relationship and dynamics than with the horror aspects. Yes, there are girls tied up in the cellar. But the main focus is how the brothers relate to each other with the parents being deceased. Sort of like a dysfunctional "Party of Five" (although I guess "POF" was never that functional).
There is a bit of sexuality here for those who need it, including some scenes of two women getting friendly. The gore is very modest, mostly just a trickle of blood here and there. But these things the film lacks are made up for in the strength of the characters. The lead (the older brother) is not a great actor compared to the rest, but it still comes off as mostly believable.
The 2006 After Dark festival wasn't known for its quality films (though I enjoyed a few of them). This was one of the better ones. Give it a spin if you're looking for a character-driven low budget film. While nothing near the masterpiece that "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" is, this will provide the viewer an inner glimpse of the mind of a killer. And his family.