PopHorror Let's Get Scared
The Rizen is one of those films that seems to be inspired by many different things. It has a blend of Silent Hill and Resident Evil combined with the otherworldly strangeness of H.P. Lovecraft. It all blends together in a fun, yet campy, sci-fi/horror/action flick.
The Rizen was written and directed by Matt Mitchell (Gangsters, Guns and Zombies) and stars Laura Swift (The Snowman) as Frances, Patrick Knowles (Mutual Friends) as Briggs, Christopher Tajah (Webcast) as Baughman, Sally Phillips (Pride and Prejudice and Zombies) as Suited Woman, Adrian Edmondson (War and Peace) as Interviewer, and Bruce Payne (Passenger 57) as Admin.
The year is 1955. NATO and the Allied Forces have been conducting secret occult experiments in a bid to win the Arms Race. They have finally succeeded, but what the Army has created threatens to tear our world apart. After an under ground lab breech, one woman must lead the only survivors past horrors that the military now has no way to control – and fight to close what never should have been opened.
I am a huge fan of anything that has a Lovecraftian feel to it, so I was definitely the type of person this film was meant for. From the scientists who are messing around with things beyond their comprehension to the look of the creepy monsters lurking around in the shadowy halls, The Rizen had me hooked from the very beginning.
With a runtime of 94 minutes, The Rizen flies by without letting up. I was never bored at any point. Right from the very beginning, we are introduced to our frantic heroin, Frances, played by stunt-woman turned actress Laura Swift, being dragged down a long, dark hallway by a weird looking creature wearing human clothing, its face wrapped in bloody gauze. After she escapes from its grasp, she eventually runs into Dr. Baughman (Christopher Tajah) and a soldier named Briggs (Patrick Knowles). We spend the rest of the film with these three, cut with occasional flashbacks that gives us the characters’ backgrounds.
Although the performances from the leads wasn’t anything to write home about – with the exception of Tajah as Dr. Baughman who I thought had some funny moments – it really didn’t take away from the fun I was having with The Rizen.
The creatures alone make this film worth checking out. The way they act is very unsettling and the noises they make made my skin crawl. Even the way they looked was creepy with them wearing normal looking clothes and all. I have to give props to the effects team who brought this nightmare fuel to life.
Although The Rizen isn’t anything outstanding, there is still a lot to enjoy, even with all of its flaws. If you are a fan of Lovecraftian style horror, then I recommend checking this one out. Just make sure to turn your brain off and have fun!
