For his third film as director, Travis Stevens (Jakob’s Wife, Girl on the Third Floor) attempts an ode to the style of horror film that was popular in the 1970s. He has even filmed it on 16 mm to amplify that feel and look. Layered on top of the 70s tone and look, Stevens has also used the typical story devices of Greek mythology and sprinkled it with a dusting of serial killer. Plenty is going on but not always in an obvious way. This is an indie horror film with an artsy surreal flair.
Do not go into this film thinking that it is going to be in any way a typical horror film. It is nothing of the sort. I am not even sure you can classify it as a horror. As the mixture of styles and art forms contained in the film, A Wounded Film is rather a mixed bag itself. There are some rather cool moments then others that will make you cringe. Even the story has its ups and downs. At the end of it all, I think most will give it a score right in the middle of the scale.
After some hesitation, museum curator Meredith Tanning (Sarah Lind – V/H/S, The Humanity Bureau) decides to take another crack at dating. It is her dumb luck that the guy she decides to date is a serial killer. Bruce (Josh Ruben – appeared in episodes of television’s Royal Pains and Astronomy Club) is quite charming but he has an insatiable lust for blood. For killing. And he is looking for his next victim.
The new couple is going to go on a romantic getaway. Well, at least Meredith is thinking it is going to be romantic. Bruce is just thinking of killing her. This begins a cat and mouse game of the target trying to stay alive while the killer is doing what he seems driven to.
The setup or beginning of the film is good enough then when we get toward the payoff section it starts to unravel. Slowly and that is part of the problem. It might have been a more successful film if there wasn’t such an effort to do something artsy. You feel the effort and that takes you out of the story. It also borders on being pompous.
In the end, you just have to work too hard to enjoy the film.