Review: The Void Is The Best Movie John Carpenter Never Directed
- Apr 30, 2017
- 2 min read
And he didn't direct it for a reason. For years digital monsters have ruled the horror genre. There was once a time of visceral, practical effects, foul creatures rendered in rubber and foam, long since replaced with pixelated renditions of their former glory. The Void seeks to change that, and, if nothing else, it succeeds in that regard.
A police officer, a nurse, a doctor, a pregnant woman and a handful of others are trapped within a hospital surrounded by masked cultists. Any attempt to leave ends with death. But something far worse lurks in the hospital with them.
The Void has been getting a lot of praise, often being called something of a masterpiece. It isn’t, not even close. If a single aspect of a movie is all it takes to make a masterpiece then there would be a lot more of them. Which part of The Void is good? Simple, the effects. They are truly some of the most grotesque, blood soaked practical creatures in the last twenty years. Not only are they utterly foul in their appearance (this is a good thing) but the look incredible. Be it tentacles, claws or all manner of malformed individuals, they are truly unpleasant to look upon.
Unfortunately there’s very little else to praise.The acting ranges from decent to awful, though it’s mostly on the latter end of the scale. The directing is average at best with many shots and monsters losing their impact due to poor composition. The story makes no sense and doesn’t seem like it’s trying to and it just might have the worst ending to a movie I’ve ever seen.
So should you watch The Void? That depends. While the practical creatures on display are really well done, there isn’t much else to hold your attention. If you need a monster fix and you’re willing to ignore the plethora of less than stellar components that make up the rest of the movie, then you’ll probably enjoy it. If you like your movies a little less half baked then it’s worth skipping.
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