Clive Barker and the movies have made for an uneven combination.  There’s the awfulness of Rawhead Rex to the (in some circles) classic Hellraiser and the litany of sequels.  Lately, a push has been made by the author and other filmmakers to bring to life stories contained within Barker’s Books of Blood series.  There was the promising, but disappointing, Book of Blood and now the new release Dread, featured in the After Dark Horrorfest.

Dread follows the relationship between the bohemian Quaid (Shaun Evans) and shy college student Stephen Grace (Jackson Rathbone), a film student looking for his thesis topic and doing his level best to avoid contact with the world around him.  The boys become friends, fueled by Quaid’s curiosity about Stephen’s past and, particularly, the subject of fear.  We know as an audience that Quaid hides a horrific past, and is living on the fringe with the aid of several (one assumes prescribed) pills a day.  It is the exploration into Stephen’s fear and the fear of all humanity that intrigues Quaid, and he proposes to Stephen that his thesis be a documentary investigating the subject of pure dread.

Stephen agrees, bringing along fellow film student Cheryl (Hanne Steen) to assist with the film.  Volunteers are invited to Quaid’s home to tell their tale of horror, questioned by the artists regarding the subject’s greatest moment of fear.  Soon, the trio of movie makers turn the camera on themselves, except for Quaid, who reveals his true terror only to Stephen.  As the experiment continues, it becomes clear to both Stephen and Cheryl that Quaid is not entirely well, but his compelling passion lures them both to delve deeper into his world than either intended.

the subject’s greatest moment of fear.  Soon, the trio of movie makers turn the camera on themselves, except for Quaid, who reveals his true terror only to Stephen.  As the experiment continues, it becomes clear to both Stephen and Cheryl that Quaid is not entirely well, but his compelling passion lures them both to delve deeper into his world than either intended.

As the film ends, Quaid takes his research to a new level, threatening the lives of those around him.  It is unfortunate that Dread falls a bit short in this final act, but it is almost unavoidable given the ambition of the film’s first hour.  

Although not a blind fan of Barker, I do appreciate his work, some of which is truly brilliant.  The translation of Barker’s often-nihilistic work to film is a difficult journey, capturing the flesh and sweat that permeates his work.  Dread shines in this area, embracing the gritty world of the introverted Stephen and the manic Quaid, impressing with the ability to describe completely the rationale for Grace and Cheryl’s attraction to Quaid, even at his most violent.  The visual style eschews the easy color schemes of the Saw films, though it does mine some of the same atmosphere, creating something that feels more real and captivating.

Like all good horror films, Dread does a fine job of exploring the subject of horror in some interesting ways, whether it’s the horror of exposure for a lovely friend of Stephen’s with a rather severe birthmark, or Cheryl’s own revelations of childhood abuse and its subsequent affect on her life.  These feel like more fully-defined people than your average slasher film, and Dread defies an easy grouping into any subgenre, short of the “You Oughtta See This One” category.  

Like all good horror films, Dread does a fine job of exploring the subject of horror in some interesting ways, whether it’s the horror of exposure for a lovely friend of Stephen’s with a rather severe birthmark, or Cheryl’s own revelations of childhood abuse and its subsequent affect on her life.  These feel like more fully-defined people than your average slasher film, and Dread defies an easy grouping into any subgenre, short of the “You Oughtta See This One” category.  

Although the final moments, and I mean the very final moments, left me feeling a bit cheated, I was with this movie until that second, and I won’t fault the rest of the film for what I feel to be a safe ending.  Do not mistake safe for happy, however, as Dread seems designed to leave the viewer in a dark place, and that’s another fine reason to recommend this one.  It understands that horror is horrible and takes its viewers to that dark, seemingly inescapable, point of existential angst.  

This is smarter stuff than average, with generally good performances, a fine visual style and a sense of purpose.  I can’t recall a movie from the After Dark Horrorfest I’ve enjoyed as much, or been as surprised by.  I hear more and more chatter about this movie, and I’m happy to join the chorus and say that it is certainly worth seeing, despite my own issues with the final shots.  Give it a go and let us know what you think.

be a safe ending.  Do not mistake safe for happy, however, as Dread seems designed to leave the viewer in a dark place, and that’s another fine reason to recommend this one.  It understands that horror is horrible and takes its viewers to that dark, seemingly inescapable, point of existential angst.  

This is smarter stuff than average, with generally good performances, a fine visual style and a sense of purpose.  I can’t recall a movie from the After Dark Horrorfest I’ve enjoyed as much, or been as surprised by.  I hear more and more chatter about this movie, and I’m happy to join the chorus and say that it is certainly worth seeing, despite my own issues with the final shots.  Give it a go and let us know what you think.