Review: The Void (2017)

"A fine entry in the Lovecraftian pantheon."

Aside from Re-Animator and From Beyond, and maybe Dagon if we're feeling generous, there aren't very many great Horror flicks out there that come from the works of H.P. Lovecraft. As bat-shit crazy and fantastic as his stories were, I honestly can't figure out why no one has tried to put more of them to film. The concept of human beings messing around with cosmic things that they don't understand, and then paying a terrible price for their meddling, is a hell of a concept, and one that could be milked endlessly, but no go so far.

Can you imagine a Cthulhu/Old Gods movie if it was done right?

There are always flicks that come along though that are very Lovecraftian in nature. The Mist comes to mind, as does Cabin in the Woods, and now we can add The Void to the mix. Sure, its smaller budget doesn't allow for massive cosmic entities to be coming through portals or anything, but it unleashes otherworldly beasts on a smaller scale in grand fashion.

The movie opens with a guy fleeing from a farmhouse in the dead of night, ahead of the bullets from two guys who really want him dead. He gets away, but his girlfriend gets shot in the back and set on fire. Deputy Carter is out on his midnight patrol when he sees the same guy crawling along the side of the road, and takes him to the nearby hospital for care, even though it's minimally-staffed due to its impending closing. How convenient.

HE'S SEEN SOME SHIT.

Soon enough, the two guys who tried to kill the dude show up and have the staff terrified, threatening to kill whoever they have to to get to their quarry... until they look outside and see a group of people in white robes surrounding the hospital. What do they want? Well, blood sacrifice, we imagine, because what else would a bunch of white robed creepers be doing surrounding a hospital in the middle of the night, if not looking for a blood sacrifice?

THE CLAN OF CTHULHU.

Trapped with nowhere to go, the small group of folks have no idea that the horrors that lie in the basement of the hospital are far more terrifying and deadly than any guys with shotguns or wannabe clansmen could ever hope to be. Of course that means that they'll be making their way down there, and none of it's going to end well for any of them.

YEAH, YOU GO AND CHECK IT OUT. I'LL WAIT UP HERE.

The Void was a blast. We love the idea of a world beyond ours that is filled with unspeakable horrors,and it's great to see a bunch of unsuspecting people be thrust into that world, and watch them reel at what they encounter. The creatures, the creepy cultists, the void itself... this was a cool little world to explore.

At times, this movie screamed of Hellraiser, The Thing, Assault on Precinct 13, and Silent Hill, all wrapped up in a heavily Lovecraftian vibe. It even had a Fulci-esque ending. Honestly, the ending has to be a direct homage to The Beyond.

It did feel like there were too many elements borrowed from classic films at times, but it was such a compelling watch that it didn't ever become a true bother. This is a great throwback flick that was obviously made by some people who love their Genre flicks of the 70's and 80's, even if they didn't quite make it flow in as grand a fashion as said classics did. 

FRANK COTTON: VOID EXPLORER.

This movie has no shortage of bloodletting and great practical FX gags on display, including a scalpel in an eye, people being eaten by creatures, and all kinds of disturbing shit on display. This movie is a visual treat. A wet and messy one.

"DO YOU SEE?!?"

No nudity here.

PRUDES.

We need more flicks with Lovecraftian themes. Like, now.

WHAT IN THE ACTUAL FUCK?

The Void isn't a perfect movie. It's limited budget shows in the lackluster script, and it borrows more than liberally from a handful of classic movies to deliver its punch, but its a visually impressive flick that boasts some great atmosphere and a cool premise that we got sucked right into.

This is a solid little Indie flick, and well worth a rental if you dig otherworldly body-horror.

B

The Void is available now on VOD, and is also in limited theaters.

Kathleen Munroe, Ellen Wong, and Grace Munro make this trip into The Void a prettier one for their presence.