Below Zero Knows How to Entertain: A Movie Review

Director: Justin Thomas Ostensen.

Writer: Signe Olynyk.

Cast: Edward Furlong, Michael Berryman, and Kristin Booth.

Tagline: "Hell never freezes over."

The script for Below Zero was written by Signe Olynyk. She spent five days in a meat locker writing the screenplay for this picture after experiencing a bad bout of writer's block. The main character in Below Zero, Jack (Edward Furlong), experiences a similar drought of the imagination. This fictional writer seems to draw from deeper and deeper within his own psyche for inspiration while sensory deprivation alters the film's reality. The only thing that is real is Below Zero's ability to entertain.

Jack has five days to come up with a screenplay or his agent will fire him. This writer seeks out isolation in a remote slaughterhouse. Here, Jack explores his own inner monster and all of the horrors therein. After awhile, reality blurs with the imagination. Jack gets his screenplay, but now his inner monster is turning him into a killer and a word thief.

Olynyk's very original screenplay points out the foibles of the horror genre. She also turns them on their head, a little. The usual twist ending is replaced by something more open to interpretation. It is hard to know what is real and what is fiction when the writer's mind creates a grander and grander story. Re-writes to Jack's script are lived out on the screen, but settings begin to look more and more like they are drafted from Jack's script. So, what is real?

Horror fans should see this film and search for their own interpretation; however, this viewer believes that Jack becomes somewhat delusional because of sensory deprivation. Jack is entirely alone and isolated. Over time, his mind begins to play tricks on him. You can see the character react to the sound of typing when there is nothing onscreen to verify that someone is making the sound. Jack also appears to write in blood at one point only to have his macabre writings disappear the next day. What Jack is often seeing are figments of his own imagination.

And, the screenplay for this film is quite excellent along with other film elements. The writing for this feature is its strongest point. But, there is more. Actor Edward Furlong is excellent as always. He plays a character tormented by self doubt. He evokes these insecurities as well as frustration with believability. Also, the music from Jeff Tymoschuck is subtle and appropriately melancholy. The soundtrack seems to emote along with the few characters. Finally, the film's ability to keep the viewer doubting of what is real and what is not creates for a great finale. There is some work required to fill in the blanks.

Below Zero is one of the best horror films or psychological thrillers to come out this year. This is a small film made for $150K, but there is care and attention given to every scene. Only the choppiness of the film's intro' created a minor stumbling point. Once Jack is in the freezer, the film just gets better and better. Cinephiles should seek out this film now that it is on DVD (August 28th).

Overall: 8.25 (small film, few actors, great writing, good acting all-around, open ending, some gory moments involving cannibalism, enjoyable overall).

The film's fan page is here:

Below Zero on Facebook

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Posted in: 2012,2012 release,edward furlong,horror movie review,independent,indie,movie review,writer