As horror fans, we have all seen a shit ton of found footage. Yet, we know that in the right hands, basements become terrifying places to die. A shaky camera instills anxiety and forces us to lean in. There is magic in this subgenre (when it’s done correctly) that shuts up the most jaded millennial. This happens when filmmakers know what came before them, and know what they want to see, and marry the two in a hellish union. The Killing Cell is one of those movies that take its references and carves them into its sleeve before shoving the bloody limb into your face. It does not care that you see The Blair Witch Project influences because it’s about to drag it to the line of aughts torture porn and put one toe over said line.
Another Road Trip Gone Wrong
The Killing Cell starts off in familiar territory. Five teens head to the allegedly haunted River’s Edge Penitentiary in the summer of 2006. Our crew is Zack (Karsen Schovajsa), Dan (James Bessey), Jeremy (Jordan Whitley), Sadie (Erin Caitlin Collins), and Shawn (Luc Sabatier). Instead of finding supernatural threats, they stumble upon some very real people being held captive by sadistic captors of the human variety.
The Killing Cell is the first feature by writer and directors Schovajsa and Bessey. Again, you can tell what kind of nightmare fuel from their youth has been marinating in these sick (complimentary) minds. However, seeing all of the influences go through a bloody blender to come out as a surprisingly pleasant but chunky smoothie makes it worth the ride. It has a firm grasp on 2000’s found footage, and that split second before torture porn went too far as a subgenre. The second half of the film feels like wandering into the wrong corner of the internet during the Myspace days. The movie is a fun introduction to this duo that shows a lot of promise. It makes me want to dig into their short films while impatiently waiting to see what’s next from them.
Should You Find This Footage?
The Killing Cell is still working its way through film festivals, so it might be a second before it can disrupt your peace. However, it’s definitely worth a watch. Especially if you grew up on dank and violent indie horror. Much like the movies it reminds me of, it’s frayed around the edges, with equal parts audacity and WTF. I’m not going to tell you it’s a perfect first feature. How many people knock it out of the park their first time at bat anyway? Ironically, most of the spots you want to complain about are enveloped in chaos. So, you almost forget to make the notes. Almost. What I will say is that it makes you think the kids (new class of filmmakers) are going to be alright.
