Dementia (2015)
Matt Boiselle
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Starring Gene Jones, Kristina Klebe, Hassie Harrison
Directed by Mike Testin
Watching a member of your own family suffer from the debilitating effects of ALS is already a hardship, but what makes a truly traumatic experience even worse is wondering how that loved one is being cared for. As Mike Testin’s Dementia reminds us, the need for background checks when hiring home healthcare workers is stronger than ever.
Gene Jones (in one of his strongest performances since The Sacrament) plays Vietnam war hero George Lockhart – a man who has already suffered unspeakable horrors at the hands of Vietcong soldiers, and as his life moves into its later stages, his health declines to the point to where he’s lashing out at loved ones and even pointing his combat rifle at a local teen bully, eventually leading up to a stroke. It’s then determined by his estranged son (Peter Cilella) that in order for his father to stay in his home instead of being moved to a care facility, a nurse is in order. She comes in the person of Kristina Klebe (Rob Zombie’s Halloween), a mysterious yet efficient caretaker that George is immediately opposed to but warms up to slowly. Not all is destined to be a smooth recovery, however, as Klebe’s character is challenged by George’s granddaughter (Harrison) – something isn’t right with the supposedly angelic aide… behind that beautiful smile is something baneful.
The thing to hold true here is that the film doesn’t rely on jump scares or paranormal frights in order to give you the chills – it’s the implication that someone who is assigned to care for a family member in medical despondency can be bereft of humane sentiments. The bottom line here is that Testin uses a very simple formula and executes it to unnerving eminence.
Accompanied by sensational performances from both Jones and Klebe, Dementia is a thriller that will both anger and frighten you in the sense of fracturing trust in “professionals.” The stories of violent caretakers have unfortunately become somewhat of a regular news item in this day and age, and this film takes such atrocities to a magnified level – ultimately creepy overall. Definitely worth a watch when it makes its way to your bedside.
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Film
Categorized:Reviews
