Reviewed by Carol Sullivan
Genre: Horror
ON DVD: February 10, 2009
Rating: Not Rated
Director: Paddy Breathnach
Starring: Stephen Dillane, Andrew Lee Potts, Sarah Carter, Martin Compston, Arielle Kebbel
Studio: Starz / Anchor Bay
DVD FEATURES
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The Making of Red Mist
Extended interview with Arielle Kebbel
The Red Mist cast in northern Ireland
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From Paddy Breathnach, the Director of the lukewarm flick, Shrooms, comes Red Mist - also known as Freakdog - a surprisingly cool straight-to-DVD horror flick that belies its budget. Filmed on location in Belfast, Ireland, Red Mist has an interesting story premise; a murderer that is killing while having an out-of-body experience. It may sound odd, but it works.
The movie begins as we join four medical students, led by Catherine
(Arielle Kebel, The Grudge 2), who are doing their internship at a busy hospital. One night, they all get together for drinks and some extra-curricular pharmaceuticals; an incredibly bad idea.
When the four begin to tease and torment a strange fellow student, Kenneth (Andrew Lee Potts, 1408) the odd young man announces that he has video of the four's drug use.
So, they get Kenneth drunk, thinking that they can get the video away from him. But, when Kenneth has a life-threatening seziure, they panic and drop his limp body off in the E.R. parking lot. Turns out Kenneth is comatose, so the four think their secret is safe.
Not so fast... Thanks to an experimental drug, Kenneth will be aware enough to have out-of-body experiences. Ones where he can take over, or posses, another person. The angry young man wants revenge on the four who were cruel to him, and now he has a way to punish them - permanently.
Now this sounds so far out-there, I know, but Director Breathnach and Writer Spence Wright pull it off. The movie is shocking and fast paced and as you don't know how the story will go, the viewer is pulled along for the ride.
While what is happening to these med-students is horrific, they are mean and self-centered, so I had little sympathy for their characters. I felt myself almost rooting for Kenneth, as he had every reason to want revenge. After all, these four selfish young people had tried to kill him and then kept it a secret to save their own asses. No wonder Kenneth's a bit ticked-off.
The murders are each unique and gruesome, although the last 1/2 hour of the movie felt a little rushed. It was if the filmmakers had either run out of money, or perhaps time; so we don't even get to see what happens to the last victims, only hear of it. But, the end is pretty slick with a bit of a twist. Overall, Red Mist makes for a really good rental.
And when you rent this movie, be sure not to miss the Special Features for interesting interviews and a fabulous short film on the Belfast filming locale.
Overall Rating: 3
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