Icon Films
R4 DVD
Horseman
of the Apocalypse is a strange and unusual film matching family dysfunction
with a Se7en like serial killer drama and elements akin to the Saw series. At first
I was a little perturbed that this was little more than a Se7en copy, but as
the film developed it certainly displayed more than a little ingenuity creating
a very unusual drama which combines a bizarre plot with some very unusual
twists and turns.
Detective
Aidan Breslin struggles to balance the needs of his two sons with his ever
demanding police career, even more so since the death of his wife. His work as
a forensic dentist as well as a detective means he is on call on unusual cases
and this means that his oldest son Alex is left to grieve for his mother’s
death alone and to take care of his younger brother.
Breslin
is called to a strange scene out in the middle of nowhere. There has been a
ceremonial style killing with “Come and See” marking each direction and a bowl
filled with teeth removed from someone with pliers. This discovery is soon
followed by a range of extremely brutal killings each one marked by the use of
“suspension equipment”, ritualistic elements and religious symbolism. Soon Breslin
comes to realize these four killings are part of some strange re-interpretation
of the Four Horseman of the Apocalypse where those who have been wronged each
unveil a killing to highlight the suffering they have experienced.
Kristin,
a young girl sexually abused by her adoptive father and Corey, a young gay man
rejected by his father, show the work their pain. Pestilence, however, gets a
bad reception as he distorts the process for petty revenge. Soon we realize a
bigger picture is unfolding as a website with millions of members called “We
are the Nothing” are waiting the final revelation of death, who it seems might
just be closer to home than Breslin realizes.
Dennis
Quaid is excellent in the role of Breslin and balances the two essential
elements of the story, familial dysfunction and a detective/serial killer tale.
The way in which the killers (The Horseman) use pain and suffering to reveal
the nature of the world is somewhat akin to Jigsaw in the Saw films but not
enough to suggest this is derivative.
The
unexpected conclusion to the tale, the tone of the film which uses Biblical
references and bleak cinematography (with an emphasis on snow, ice and cold)
make this an intriguing and refreshing take on the genre.
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