Scourge is probably the first movie I've come across since starting this little project that I knew I probably shouldn't like but really did anyways. I mean, there isn't a lot of acclaim for it (the 4.2 on imbd was higher than I expected) - and to be honest it doesn't really deserve it. There are far too may conveniences with the plot, an overly CGI'd monster, and a lack of anything too original or inventive. But I'd be lying if I said I didn't have a really good time with it. Scourge has some good actors/characters that were really easy to get behind, some good humor (I laughed out loud and rewound/rewatched one scene - a rarity for me), and a story that was easy to follow and didn't try too hard. It's definitely a simple story - really, it feels like a SyFy film done right.
Scourge is about a little worm-creature/virus thing that escapes from it's ancient holding cell in an old church in Harbortown, Washington (via Canada) when the church burns down. Basically, it infects a person, makes them act all weird and makes chunks of their flesh fall off, and eventually bursts out of them and into another person, via their belly button.
Our main humans in the story are Jesse and Scott. Jesse is a woman, confusingly spelled without the "-ie." Being a male Jesse who always gets the "ie" treatment I notice such things. Luckily, I could get over it because Jesse (Robyn Ledoux) is just staggeringly attractive, and it's not just the name. She's just gorgeous, but in a non-movie star/normal human being way, you know? (And also, sadly - not in any other movies.) So fair warning, that could have affected my feelings towards Scourge. It certainly didn't hurt. Anyways, Jesse is visiting home while on break from college, housesitting for her wealthy parents while they are on a trip. Her ex-boyfriend Scott is from the wrong side of the tracks - despite being in trouble with the law on occasion, he actually has a heart of gold. Would you believe it? Even though they have been apart for years, Jesse and Scott *might* still have feelings for each other. Jesse's uncle - who also happens to be the sheriff in town - warns him to stay away. And you can probably guess how that goes. Because of his checkered past, Scott ends up as a suspect in the worm-creature killings, and he can only turn to Jesse for help. Will they be able to evade the law and fight off the titular scourge? Tune in to find out!
So yeah, it's obviously not the most original story out there... Writer-Director Jonas Quastel is sticking firmly within the boundaries of sci-fi/horror convention, and honestly doesn't try to do anything too new or exciting. But the leads are charismatic enough to make it (more or less) work. Or maybe I was just drunk and in a good mood. At any rate, there wasn't anything stupid enough in Scourge to make me angry (a good pull quote if there ever was one). There are certainly some *major* conveniences that help Jesse and Scott figure out what's going on, and many people find out about what's happening via a newscast. But the film is fun enough that you let it slide.
There is some legit humor here too. Not all of it works - there is a pretty heavy reliance on bodily functions. When you are infected, you eat gross food (one guy eats mayo straight from the jar) and get super gassy. So there are lots of shots of people wandering around burping and farting. While that gets kind of old, it's never played as gross-out humor, which I appreciated. There are a few clever moments in the script, some solid (and really funny) line deliveries from bit players, and a couple of fun and unique shots (an infected guy getting his jaw punched off was a big highlight).
Scourge does rely on some dodgy CGI. The opening shot literally looks like a video game cutscene, and I'm quite certain there is not a physical model of our monster anywhere in the film. But again, it's fun enough (and obviously low budget enough) that I can cut it some slack. Like I said, if you're expectations are "SyFy film but actually entertaining," I think you'll like it. There is a lot earnestness and genuine effort going on in Scourge, which goes a long ways in my book.
Plus, as I've said before, I'm a sucker for movies pretty obviously made in Canada but pretending to be in America. It's almost like a little bonus game within the film... spotting the stray accent, seeing how they hide the license plates, and so on. That aspect is engaging even if the film is not. And yes, I'm a nerd.
But the thing is, Scourge is mostly engaging. I'm sure some people would say it's "hackneyed" or "derivative." So I'm torn. It's not like I have any clout as a reviewer - and it's not really a good enough film to totally go to bat for. But still - I was into it.
I would recommend this film.
No comments:
Post a Comment