THE PLOT THUS FAR
They say squatting is dead – a term that takes on a sinister double meaning when four homeless art students decide to take up residence in an abandoned London House where a hidden terror lurks.
WHAT WE THOUGHT
In search of a place to live as squatters, four London art students come upon the perfect place — an empty house that appears to be theirs for the taking. But once inside, they realize they’re sharing the space with a deeply evil presence. The villain is a generic man in a surgeon uniform who immediately brings to mind a Jigsaw or maybe Hostel-like atmosphere. Except every time he’s about to do something to bring the gore he’s distracted and walks away.
Spiderhole begins customary enough with a carefree student Molly having a check-up at the doctors on a sunny London’s day, but once she meets her three friends to go on a squatting adventure of free spirited living things take a turn for the worse and it becomes a claustrophobic nightmare. Simpson sets-up the perfect intro for a haunted house thriller, shadowy corridors, locked doors, complete with bangs and bumps. You almost feel you’re in for a rework of 1962 The Haunting. Nevertheless, as the supernatural element is dispensed with and the ‘torture porn’ element begins with plenty of blood, mind-games and grime to get Saw-esque fans jumping in their seats. Executed with some excellent practical and realistic looking effects and blood.
The DVD comes with interviews, behind the scenes featurette and trailer. The A/V Quality is pretty strong with a sound mix that supports the scares. However, the transfer is very weak for a film that lives and dies by its dimly lit scenes. The Dolby 5.1 track continues to show that IFC and MPI continue to excel in that department. In the end, I’d recommend a rental.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!
