PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Rodger Griffiths’ Betrayal starts off with a bang, quite literally. Three brothers decide to shoot their father while out on a hunting expedition. But nothing really goes according to plan, and things escalate quickly. The film tells the story not only of the brothers’ plans to get away with murder, but also reaches back in time to explain how things had gotten to this point.
Synopsis
Three desperate brothers return to the remote Scottish woodland where they killed their abusive father only to discover his shallow grave is now empty, forcing them to question each other’s loyalty as fear and paranoia set in.
Betrayal is the first feature film from Rodger Griffiths. It was written by Rodger Griffiths and Rob Drummond, and directed by Rodger Griffiths. It stars Paul Higgins as family patriarch Don, Daniel Portman as eldest brother Henry, Brian Vernel as middle brother John, and Calum Ross as the youngest brother, Vince. Betrayal also includes excellent supporting acting from Anita Vettesse in her portrayal of Kate, the family matriarch.
Betrayal is a tense thriller that keeps the dread flowing throughout its entire 90 minute run time. There are two stories being told simultaneously, and both are nerve-wracking and charged with emotion. In the present, brothers Henry, John, and Vince have killed their father, Don, and buried him in the woods. Or so they thought. But things take a nasty turn when the boys return to the scene the following day to discover that Don isn’t where they left him. Now, the hunt is on. But who is hunting who?
Interspersed with this narrative, Betrayal also takes us back in time, to the very root of the problem. Don, as you’ve probably guessed by now, isn’t a very nice man. He’s kept his family in a constant state of fear, walking on eggshells, to keep from drawing his ire. Paul Higgins portrayal of Don was particularly powerful in my opinion, because Higgins is not a strikingly large or frightening man. Yet he terrified me. When the character’s mood turned violent, I felt I could almost see a darkness come over Higgins’ face in those moments.
Likewise, all three brothers in Betrayal had similar moments, where the mood would shift and only subtle facial changes alerted you to the deep wells of anger and violence hiding within. The brothers truly believed that they were doing the right thing by killing their father, but in doing so they became even more like him. This film reminds us that violence begets violence, and violence is really never the solution to anything. The boys tried to break the cycle, and it just dragged them deeper into it. In order to break these chains, we have to be stronger and rise above our base instincts to hurt those who have hurt us.
Overall, I found Betrayal to be a tense and thrilling film,which also provoked a strong emotional response in me. The plot is fairly straightforward, allowing for a greater depth of character development. The characters, their motivations, and their differing responses to trauma build a fascinating and thought provoking film. All of the performances are spectacular, showcasing the incredible range of the cast. I encourage you to watch Betrayal when you get the chance.
Betrayal releases on VOD and digital on Friday, September 6.
