~Spoiler~
Isolation plays almost like a Cronenbergian take on Alien by way of Ireland...but not as good as that sounds. The setting is an isolated farm where genetic experiments are being done to the cattle there. Yes, said experiments do go awry. The calves that are being born are already pregnant themselves with some sort of carnivorous beasts. I had heard from several sources that the film was unsettling. I have to disagree. The scenes I found to be the most disturbing were not the scenes of horror. There was a lovemaking scene I thought was a bit creepy and a calf-birthing that was, of course, nasty. I'll admit, it had a great atmosphere, but it failed to make use of such. Never once did I fear for the characters because, quite simply, not much happened. There is a lot of looking for the creature in the dark but not much payoff to all the tension. You never really see the monster, and when you do, you have no idea what you are looking at. I can't get scared by looking at what appeared to be pieces of General Tsoi's chicken. Now, the scenes with the "brain gun" were appropriately shocking. The filmmaker uses this device several times and I never once became numb to the effect. The acting is top notch and, like I said earlier, the director has created a great atmosphere. But something is definitely missing here. Anyone who has seen a horror movie knows how this one is going to end long before the credits roll. Isolation is, at it's simplest, a decent stew that is missing some key ingredients.
Isolation plays almost like a Cronenbergian take on Alien by way of Ireland...but not as good as that sounds. The setting is an isolated farm where genetic experiments are being done to the cattle there. Yes, said experiments do go awry. The calves that are being born are already pregnant themselves with some sort of carnivorous beasts. I had heard from several sources that the film was unsettling. I have to disagree. The scenes I found to be the most disturbing were not the scenes of horror. There was a lovemaking scene I thought was a bit creepy and a calf-birthing that was, of course, nasty. I'll admit, it had a great atmosphere, but it failed to make use of such. Never once did I fear for the characters because, quite simply, not much happened. There is a lot of looking for the creature in the dark but not much payoff to all the tension. You never really see the monster, and when you do, you have no idea what you are looking at. I can't get scared by looking at what appeared to be pieces of General Tsoi's chicken. Now, the scenes with the "brain gun" were appropriately shocking. The filmmaker uses this device several times and I never once became numb to the effect. The acting is top notch and, like I said earlier, the director has created a great atmosphere. But something is definitely missing here. Anyone who has seen a horror movie knows how this one is going to end long before the credits roll. Isolation is, at it's simplest, a decent stew that is missing some key ingredients.