So, where to begin unpacking "Fang". Simply put, it is one of the best horror movies I have seen in a long time. To be clear, I don't mean that this is one of the best indie movies I have ever seen. No, what I am stating quite plainly is that it is better than 90% of ALL horror movies I have ever seen, full stop (even from major studios, in spite of it being a grassroot funded indie movie). This is made even more impressive by the fact that Richard Burgin, who wrote, directed, casted and acted in the movie (as well as composed the soundtrack) was able to pull off this masterpiece as his very first feature length movie.
So, without spoilers, what made me so impressed with this movie? First, is the incredible acting talent on display. Dylan LaRay plays the part of an autistic man called Billy who is living at home with his mother (played by Lynn Lowry) struggling with late stage Parkinson's and her inevitable mental decline. The story follows Billy directly so, naturally, every scene includes him. Without beating the audience over the head, there are many tells that reveal the autistic nature of Billy but without any info dumps or exposition. It flows naturally as we see the strain on his life as fate seems stacked against him. Impressive as his performance is, Lynn Lowry steals every scene she is in with her phenomenal job of showing the debilitating effects of late stage Parkinson's. As somebody with Aspergers, I recognize many of the little tells and personality quirks that mark someone as a "little different" on the autism spectrum. Also, though I was not close, my father too died of Parkinson's and I can absolutely attest to that struggle as they want to maintain their dignity but begin to lose themselves. Certainly, an incredible amount of research and homework must have been done to convincingly recreate this within the fabric of "Fang". Although these two actors stood out, there wasn't a bad performance to be found anywhere. Every character seemed natural and realistic in their portrayals and motivations.
Next, the camera work was exquisite. Low wobbly angles served to unsettle the audience as well as sharp cuts and brief flashbacks to keep the heart racing and tension high. This was complimented by some incredible sound mixing, background effects and creepy, clawing, musical score which becomes more offkey and unnerving as the movie progresses. The color pallete was absolutely amazing too.
Now, I always like to be fair and talk about negative aspects of any movie I review. I admit that with "Fang", this is very difficult. However, there are several small things that jump out. First, there is a scene where Billy picks up some lockpicks and suddenly becomes an expert in using them within the space of, at most, several hours. This is simply not reasonable as such a skillset would require even the most talented person to spend weeks in learning. Also, there were a couple of spots where makeup was clearly glued on and not as convincing as the rest of the movie which was meticulous in drawing the audience into the characters. These minor flaws were the only reason I elected to score the movie as a 9 instead of a 10. In reality, I would have given it a 9.5 if such an option was available.
In summary, this psychological thriller is a very different take on the were-creature genre and leads the audience deep down the rabbit hole. It is intelligent, emotionally powerful, thought provocative and you will leave wondering what just hit you.
So, without spoilers, what made me so impressed with this movie? First, is the incredible acting talent on display. Dylan LaRay plays the part of an autistic man called Billy who is living at home with his mother (played by Lynn Lowry) struggling with late stage Parkinson's and her inevitable mental decline. The story follows Billy directly so, naturally, every scene includes him. Without beating the audience over the head, there are many tells that reveal the autistic nature of Billy but without any info dumps or exposition. It flows naturally as we see the strain on his life as fate seems stacked against him. Impressive as his performance is, Lynn Lowry steals every scene she is in with her phenomenal job of showing the debilitating effects of late stage Parkinson's. As somebody with Aspergers, I recognize many of the little tells and personality quirks that mark someone as a "little different" on the autism spectrum. Also, though I was not close, my father too died of Parkinson's and I can absolutely attest to that struggle as they want to maintain their dignity but begin to lose themselves. Certainly, an incredible amount of research and homework must have been done to convincingly recreate this within the fabric of "Fang". Although these two actors stood out, there wasn't a bad performance to be found anywhere. Every character seemed natural and realistic in their portrayals and motivations.
Next, the camera work was exquisite. Low wobbly angles served to unsettle the audience as well as sharp cuts and brief flashbacks to keep the heart racing and tension high. This was complimented by some incredible sound mixing, background effects and creepy, clawing, musical score which becomes more offkey and unnerving as the movie progresses. The color pallete was absolutely amazing too.
Now, I always like to be fair and talk about negative aspects of any movie I review. I admit that with "Fang", this is very difficult. However, there are several small things that jump out. First, there is a scene where Billy picks up some lockpicks and suddenly becomes an expert in using them within the space of, at most, several hours. This is simply not reasonable as such a skillset would require even the most talented person to spend weeks in learning. Also, there were a couple of spots where makeup was clearly glued on and not as convincing as the rest of the movie which was meticulous in drawing the audience into the characters. These minor flaws were the only reason I elected to score the movie as a 9 instead of a 10. In reality, I would have given it a 9.5 if such an option was available.
In summary, this psychological thriller is a very different take on the were-creature genre and leads the audience deep down the rabbit hole. It is intelligent, emotionally powerful, thought provocative and you will leave wondering what just hit you.