PopHorror Let's Get Scared
NOTE: This story was published during the 2023 WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes. Without the labor of the writers and actors currently on strike, the films being covered here wouldn’t exist. PopHorror fully supports the WGA and SAG-AFTRA and their efforts.
Synopsis:
Slave traders bring back an evil voodoo entity that is accidentally freed by the Confederate army during the Civil War. The entity possesses the bodies of the dead soldiers to create an army of its own bent on conquest, using the corpses of both the North and South.
Featuring an all star cast and a promising premise, The Killing Box (aka The Ghost Brigade, aka Grey Knight, aka The Lost Brigade) is an unusual take on the heavily tread zombie trope that, unfortunately, ultimately falls victim to tepid pacing, unscary sequences, and a too complicated plot.
Captain John Harling (Adrian Pasdar: Near Dark) is nearing his end of service for the Union Army during the Civil War when he is tasked by General Haworth (Martin Sheen: Apocalypse Now) to accompany captured Confederate Colonel Strayn (Corbin Bernsen: The Dentist), who was also his teacher at West Point, on a trek through the war-torn South to investigate the mysterious murders of a group of Union soldiers. Along for the ride is the pompous, certified jerk-ass, Colonel Thalman (Ray Wise: Digging Up The Marrow) and runaway slave Rebecca (Cynda Williams: Mo’ Better Blues). Popping up among the living—and the dead—soldiers, you’ll see Billy Bob Thornton (Sling Blade), David Arquette (Scream), Alexis Arquette (Bride of Chucky), and even Friends alum Matt LeBlanc (How YOU Doin’?), among others.
Resplendent with morbid, gothic imagery (more Vlad the Impaler than Stonewall Jackson) and some really cool plot points, The Killing Box (a reference to a military maneuver) is a film filled with potential. Where it eventually falls flat is in its writing from Matt Greenburg (Pet Sematary 2019), the plodding, meandering direction by director George Hickenlooper (Dogtown), and its inexplicable TV Movie of the Week visual style.
Adding to the overall unscariness of the doomed 51st Confederate Regiment is the fog that materializes every time they appear, and their goofy white war paint. Seriously, some gross-out zombie make-up would have been welcome!
While there are some dark moments, especially the slaughter of the captured soldiers after their surrender and some of the zombie attacks. These are watered down by the flaccid pace of the film and the convoluted reveal of the slave/voodoo curse that is central to the plot. Side plots are introduced and developed, only to go nowhere and end up with no resolution, also serving to soften the impact of the film. The massacre at Tatum’s Creek could have been the starting point for a very engrossing film, and The Killing Box starts down that path initially, before the ham-fisted writing and direction serve to kill most of the tension, suspense, and frights.
That’s not to say The Killing Box doesn’t have any redeeming qualities. The acting by the ensemble cast is top notch, with skilled actors fighting each other for the viewer’s attention, without seeming underused. As I mentioned above, there are some really amazing, atmospheric set pieces that can bring the chills, along with an almost Carpenter-esque sense of dread. But, eventually, The Killing Box falls victim to its own potential by recklessly trying to cram everything AND the kitchen sink into its 82 minute runtime.
This film is definitely worth your time as there are plenty of compelling scenes to be had, but the sum of the parts come off as unfinished and unfulfilling. The supercharged cast alone is worth the price of admission, and really, if there were any justice in this crazy world, shouldn’t Civil War Zombie films be a vibrant sub-genre? I think so…
The Killing Box is available on Blu-ray from Scorpion Releasing/MGM at MVD Visual and other fine retailers.
Special features:
- English Subtitles for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing
- DTS-HD Master Audio
- High Definition Blu-ray 1080p Widescreen Presentation (1.78:1)
- New 2020 HD Master
