November 30, 2013
A new pastor and his family in a small town . . .
Friendly town’s folk all pitching in to make them feel welcome . . .
Easy country living . . .
It’s just like Norman Rockwell always painted it.
In ‘Nothing Left to Fear’, this Rockwell canvas also includes demonic possession, portals into hell, mutant sheep, ritualistic sacrifice and the proverbial Sunday church service. Yeah, just like Rockwell always painted it. So for all those families yearning for the simpler life, maybe Stull, Kansas isn’t for you.
As they settle into their new house Pastor Dan (James Tupper of “Revenge”), and his family gather and give prayer and thanks for the sacrifices they have made as he believes the lord has called them here. Unbeknownst to Dan, no amount of prayer is going to save his family from the horrors they will soon endure. Stull, Kansas is the small rural town where they will now break bread and, on the surface all appears pleasant especially to Dan’s wife Wendy (Anne Heche). The same cannot be said for oldest daughter Rebecca (Rebekah Brandes of “Bellflower”); whose all too real nightmares have her a tad unsettled until she takes interest in the strapping local dude named Noah (Ethan Peck). Their relationship blossoms when he shows her the more picturesque vistas of Stull.
The die was cast when an innocent housewarming gift in the form of a homemade cake contained the tooth of destruction. Stealing the first tasty slice by younger sister Mary (Jennifer Stone of “Wizard of Waverly Place”), not only has her coughing up a mouth full of blood, but marks her for sacrifice. With strong misgivings, Noah relays to the outgoing Pastor Kingsman (Clancy Brown of Shawshank Redemption), who the latest sacrifice will be. This will open one of The Seven Gates of Hell which demands the blood of the innocent to unleash the creatures of the damned. The new demonic and facially distorting Mary comes to life. Kingsman convincingly reminds Noah that he knew this day was coming.
“Humble yourself before the lord, we are his servants, we are here to do his will. . . .We should not question what is beyond our understanding. Put aside your weakness and he will give you strength,” Pastor Kingsman reminds Noah.
Horror movies steeped in religion have so much from which to mine. Classics from the Omen to the Exorcist and beyond, culled scripture that resonate a certain plausibility as the good vs. evil, heaven vs. hell paradigm plays out. Just like the good book, Director, Anthony Leonardi III, conjures up a jolting array of CGI-enhanced visual effects underpinned with a religious fervor. Clever art direction with a tight shot of Mary’s glassy eye hinting of the troubles to come was astutely executed. The black oily spawn excreting from Mary’s throat takes on a hideous Rorschachian Ink Blot feel of creeping ivy that envelops everything.
Writer, Jonathon W.C. Mills, penned a nimble coherent little horror that, when dissected, reveals enough twists and breaks from the formulaic sand box that will make film goers take notice. When was the last time a horror movie had a chase scene where the little boy gets abandoned by adults and when he finally evades the clutches of the beast and finds refuge in the safety of a family – gets pushed back outside to certain doom ? The back story of Noah and his connection to Rebecca works a deeper sub-plot that come full circle in a slick and mind-bending last scene.
Verdict: 3.0 out of 5: Inspired by the real-life paranormal legacy of Stull, Kansas, ‘Nothing Left To Fear’ is still a clever little horror. The first film from Rock & Roll Hall of Famer Slash’s production company, Slasher Films, this fresh take on horror at its core works off a solid narrative, unfortunately it gets hobbled by thorough lack of anything remotely coming close to fear. First-time Director, Leonardi makes the best of his first effort by scratching the surface, but fails to get his hands truly dirty in the dark recesses of fear. The infusion of Slash creating original music for the film will only get you so far. ‘Nothing Left to Fear’ can only offers up middle of the road scares in the fear department when all along we were hoping there was much much more to fear.
Final Thought: Bucolic country living has its challenges.
Genre: Horror
Country: USA
Language: English
Director: Anthony Leonardi III
Writer: Jonathon W.C. Mills
Producer(s): Slash, Alison Palmer, Todd Dagres, Michael Williams, Rob Eric
Production Company: Anchor Bay Films, Slasher Films, Movie Package Company, Prime Focus LTD, Midlife Crisis Productions
Original Music: Slash, Nicolas O’Toole
Release Date: October, 2013
Runtime: 100 Minutes
Cast: James Tupper, Anne Heche, Rebekah Brandes, Jennifer Stone, Clancy Brown, Ethan Peck, Carter Cabassa, Wayne Pére
