Inoperable, 2017.
Directed by Christpher Lawrence Chapman.
Starring Danielle Harris, Katie Keene, Jeff Denton, and Isabella Sofia Menna.
SYNOPSIS:
A young woman wakes up in a seemingly evacuated hospital with a hurricane approaching that has awakened malevolent forces inside. She realizes she must escape the hospital before the hurricane passes, or she will be trapped there forever.
Horror films these days are struggling against a tide of half-hearted, lazy formula tropes, or easy outs such as relentless gore. For a sub-section of genre fans, a good gorno is the significant box that needs checking. The other bits don’t matter so much. It’s always a pleasant surprise to see some more elaborate concepts. Whether they succeed or fail, I always do appreciate if a film tries something. Inoperable does just that.
Now I won’t say it’s wholly original, but it takes elements from say Groundhog Day, mixed with what seems initially as something along the lines of The Shining too, but takes a more psychological twist en-route through the reveals, into Shutter Island territory. Danielle Harris is no stranger to horror given her history in the Halloween franchise (original and reboot) and is just the sort of lead this kind of film requires. Waking up in a seemingly evacuated hospital bed during a fierce storm, with no recollection of how she got there. Something seems to have been awakened in the hospital and she then finds herself in a perpetual time loop, and must find a way to escape the hospital before being permanently trapped in this limbo. Along the way she meets a couple who appear to be trapped too and aware they’re in a distorted reality.
Written and directed by Christopher Lawrence Chapman, Inoperable has enough to maintain interest over the short running time and remain intriguing. The virtually single setting of the hospital (combined with short scenes on a highway which begin each loop) creates a feeling of claustrophobia, whilst there’s at least enough budget to have the place looking ravaged by a storm/something more sinister. Panels fall off walls, lights flicker out and the place is covered in shattered glass and blood. It’s every inch a creepy hospital and wouldn’t feel out of place in American Horror Story (surely in part, an inspiration). There’s some great photography on this from Giorgio Daveed. It’s always a great help to a horror film to look visually engaging.
This doesn’t break new ground but it keeps the audience engaged thanks to the concept, solid direction and a strong leading performance from a dedicated Harris. Likewise, horror fans will also appreciate some nice old school gore effects. It’s not a gore fest by any stretch but blood is spilt, guts are removed and it all looks suitably grotesque. A good effort albeit one that becomes more and more contrived as the film progresses.
Flickering Myth Rating – Film: ★ ★ / Movie: ★ ★ ★
Tom Jolliffe
