The Wretched
3 out of 5 Stars
Directors: Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce
Writers: Brett Pierce, Drew T. Pierce
Starring: John-Paul Howard, Piper Curda, Jamison Jones
Genre: Horror
Rated: Not Rated
SALT LAKE CITY (KUTV) – Synopsis: Ben, an angst-filled teenager, is sent to live with his father as his parents prepare for divorce. By day he works with the attractive and flirtatious Mallory at the boat docks. By night he spies on his neighbors. His curiosity just might get him killed.
Review: The horror genre is tricky. Being original isn’t off limits, but if you stray too far outside of the realm of familiarity and the core audience might not be willing to follow you. Sticking to the tropes and pillaging the successful formulas established in the ‘70s and ‘80s is often rewarded. Those films rarely reach beyond the core audience, but I’m not sure they were ever really intended to. That said, appeasing the gorehounds isn’t as easy as the painting-by-numbers approach suggests. There are literally hundreds of non-descript horror films that aren’t even worthy of the budget bins of your big-box retailer of choice.
“The Wretched” feels like a film from the ‘80s with contemporary production values. It features the standard tropes of hormonal teens with family troubles, a monster and some supernatural aspects. In many ways it feels like Stephen King’s “It” without the town of Derry, its sewers or its clown. Which, unfortunately for “The Wretched,” is what made “It” better than your average scare. That’s not to say that “The Wretched” isn’t well made. Quite the opposite. The cinematography is a bit dark at times, but it generally looks quite good, the special effects are convincing and the acting, despite not featuring anyone particularly famous, is above average.
I don’t want to call “The Wretched” generic, there’s talent and some style there, but it just doesn’t amount to much more than a decent, competent horror film. It would have been a more enjoyable experience if it was less predictable, featured a lead character that I cared about and gave the small town a greater sense of atmosphere.
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