The Shelter, 2015.
Directed by John Fallon.
Starring Michael Paré, Lauren Alexandra and Rachel G. Whittle
SYNOPSIS:
A homeless man named Thomas (Michael Pare) finds shelter for the night within a lavish abandoned two-story house. He eventually discovers that he is not alone and the premises won’t let him leave.
When you have a body of work as prolific as Michael Pare, with seemingly endless films listed in production as every new year comes into being, it goes without saying that there’s probably a share of duds. Pare is known to most for the cult classic Walter Hill flick, Streets of Fire. Like many chiselled tough guys who came to the fore in the 80’s, his career seemed to dwindle in the 90’s, joining the likes of Eric Roberts in B-picture oblivion. That placing though, and some of the dross he’s been in belies the fact that Pare is a talented actor given the right direction and inspiration.
This brings us to The Shelter, a horror/thriller with Pare headlining. Given his busy slate, year on year, he’s often a support act, but here we’re treated to a Pare lead film. But with Halloween upon us, is it a treat, or a trick? Shot for what seems like a few cents dredged out of a fountain, this is dirt cheap and has the feel of a film rushed out on a whim. That’s not always a bad thing by any means. Occasionally you get a raw energy, and moments that feel instinctive.
Pare plays Thomas a homeless man who has lost everything. He finds shelter one night in an abandoned house. He soon finds he’s not alone and is unable to leave. The film is brief, but even so is a little cumbersome in getting to the meat of the story. It meanders a little. Thomas is a pretty hackneyed character in terms of how he is introduced. Sorrowful, haunted, lonely and dependant on alcohol. It’s haunted character 101. The rest of the cast are average in terms of characterisation and also performance. So it thus lies with Pare to elevate the dramatic heart of the film. This he manages to do. It’s not his best performance by any stretch, but he invests himself in a film certainly lacking in finance, but in unique vision (largely) too. Pare has the ability to make it more interesting, and he does so.
The Shelter is drained of colour. The muted palette (you assume intentionally) is perhaps a little too dull. A choice is made creatively that doesn’t necessarily pay off for me, and visually it’s a bit dreary, though a few of the scenes do work well, such as the introduction to the house. Writer/director John Fallon does a pretty serviceable job. It’s all a bit routine, and in need of a bit more energy but at least there’s clarity to the framing and cutting, and not a descent into histrionic camera work and avid farts. The music is melancholic and minimalist. Droning basses and atmospheres, and echoey piano. It’s effective enough, though tows the line to boreds-ville a few times. That said in horror, often less is more.
It’s a little hard to categorise The Shelter. The task of recommending this to a select group is difficult because whilst it’s predominately identified in the horror camp, it lacks the required scares or atmosphere to satisfy horror fans. As a thriller it also lacks the thrills. As drama it comes short on the heft to pull in the audience, despite the best efforts of Pare to keep you engaged. So much of the film is resting entirely on him as he spends a significant proportion alone on screen. A lesser actor would have let the film slip through their fingers and into that dangerous realm where the audience falls asleep. Pare keeps a grip and sees us through to the end.
In the end, whilst the film has some merits, they’re not enough to make up for a lacklustre pace and unengaging plot. It’s in desperate need of an injection of energy from somewhere, but aside from the capable lead, there’s little else.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★
Tom Jolliffe
Originally published November 2, 2016. Updated April 16, 2018.
