Convergence (Blu-ray / DVD)
Matt Boiselle
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Starring Clayne Crawford, Ethan Embry, Mykelti Williamson
Directed by Drew Hall
Director Drew Hall mixes equal parts of horror, mystery, and action and then presses the “blend” setting on the cinema concoction-creator, making a pretty fun celluloid libation in Convergence – so grab a seat at the bar and prepare to drink up.
Detective Ben Walls (Crawford) serves as the film’s focal point – he’s living the (somewhat quiet) family life, complete with wife and daughter, and one day during a building sweep following a catastrophic bomb blast, Ben is sent to the hospital after a second explosion takes him out. Waking up in a room with his supervisor (Williamson) standing watch over him, the orders are simple: “Stay here and rest.” Seems logical enough of a prescription, doesn’t it?
While Ben takes the obligatory route and opts to check in with his wife, he notices that things at this particular hospital just seem OFF. From 1950’s uniform-wearing nurses to bodies not sticking around for murder investigations to random attacks from Bible-thumping kooks, this place has literally got it all! On top of everything, a lunatic named Daniel (Embry) is loose on the property, and his grasp over the patients and staff is very tight. With everything that Ben has had to contend with, I’ve failed to mention the shadowy black figures that roam the dimply lit halls at all times of the day.
Director Hall takes something as simple as the traumatic after-effects of a disastrous situation, then tosses a myriad of psychological toppings over this presentation. Once you believe that you’ve got a foothold on where this story is going, you’re pitched a curveball that you’re forced to swing at in order to understand just where the path is taking you, and this is most certainly not a bad thing. Tapping into the whole “zealot” sphere of psychological horror, Convergence works on a number of levels, with crime-thriller tinges and straight-up frenzy at some points.
The only downfall of this movie was the runtime (130 minutes), which can lag in spots, but fear not, as the craziness doesn’t take long to fire up again. Embry’s performance as the leader of the whack-pack is commendable – I remember this guy playing Clark Griswald’s goofy son in the Vegas Vacation film, and NOW.. .let’s just say this man should definitely be considered when a film needs a nutbag (and I say that in the kindest way possible).
All in all, the pieces are in order for a fun film that will give you the chills as well as make your minds work a little overtime. Give this one a surefire peek if you get the chance.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
