Hoarder, The (DVD)

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The HoarderStarring Mischa Barton, Emily Atack, Robert Knepper,

Directed by Matt Winn


If Ella (Mischa Barton) thought rats and mildew were the scariest things lurking amongst her boyfriend’s dusty boxes of keepsakes, was she ever surprised to discover there’s a slasher in his storage space. Said slayer is a bizarre, pale creature straight out of The Descent, only it’s got a box-cutter and an agenda.

Barely escaping with her life (her helpful friend Molly, played by Emily Atack, isn’t so lucky), Ella runs to the elevator only to find that she is trapped, and it’s past 6PM. There is no one to help her but a few other storage space stragglers who also missed the closing time memo. They are: a bickering couple on the verge of divorce, a strung-out hippie chick, a down on his luck dude with an attitude, and a temperamental off-duty cop (Robert Knepper).

At first no one believes Ella, but when the maze of corridors proves there’s danger lurking round every turn, they listen up and help her form a plan of attack.

Directed and co-written by Matt Winn, The Hoarder is a perfectly serviceable horror thriller, buoyed by the believability of the cast. Barton and Knepper, both old pros in the thriller and suspense arenas, play off each other very well; but even the unknowns hold their own. The monster is creepy and merciless. There’s a bit of a twist, one which you may see coming, but that should not lessen the enjoyment of the throw-down at the end.

Fans of contained horror a la Cube, Devil, and Vacancy will enjoy The Hoarder – and if you’re like me, you’ll be relieved it’s not a found-footage flick; nor do the facility’s surveillance cameras take over as cinematographer. In fact, the DP (Eben Bolter) clearly went the extra mile to shoot the corridors in such a way as to make them reminiscent of The Shining’s hallways, took the time to light the whole area and not just the actors which gives depth and dimension, and even has a color palette of sorts in the gray and gloomy storage facility.

I liked The Hoarder more than I expected to, but when it comes to pure horror and scares, it’s average.

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User Rating 2.75 (8 votes)
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