When I first I heard about “Pernicious”, I wasn’t sure that I would be interested in seeing this film. But lately, the film has been getting a lot of press from some of the major horror sites. Still, I wasn’t sure if this was all hype or this is a very good film.
The film follows three women (Ciara Hanna, Jackie Moore and Emily O’Brien) who travel to Thailand for the summer to teach English. They are also looking to experience the sights of the country. But what is waiting for them is something they least expect. Their trip starts to become a nightmare when the people that just met at a night club all of a sudden go missing. If thing couldn’t get worse, they start having trouble sleeping as a statue haunts them. Now they must find a way out of their predicament before they sleep forever.
Going into this film, I wasn’t expecting much scares considering that this looked more like a torture porn film than a supernatural film. Thankfully, there was a balance between those two horror subgenres. “Pernicious does a very good job playing up as the elements of both subgenres as it works well here.
The credit goes to director/co-writer James Cullen Bressack, as the direction was very good. What I liked about his direction was that he’s able to make the film feel scary. From the way the gore effect were executed to how the scary images were effectively crafted on screen, everything gave me that edge of your seat feel. When that happen, it grabs you’re interest. Bressack also does a great job making sure the performance were also good. Whether its way the horror scenes were acted to making sure his cast makes their characters interesting, he does a great job making sure the performances fit the film’s bloody and creepy tone.
Speaking of the performances, I thought the three main actresses Ciara Hanna, Jackie Moore and Emily O’Brien were very good here. I liked how they had good chemistry with each other and the ability to play off of each other. They make sure that their performances fit the film’s tone and keeps your interested in the film. It’s one of the best things about this film.
The screenplay written by Bresack and Taryn Hillin was also very good. One of the things that I like about this screenplay was the fact that it blends both torture porn and supernatural elements so well. They did a great job balancing these element out as this film has some very scary moments that made me turn away from the TV. It’s something that I don’t see in many horror film, as neither subgenre over took the other. This story felt like both a torture porn film and a supernatural film rolled into one, as it works on both levels. The other that makes this work so well was the way that Bresack and Hillin develop everything. Whether it’s the development of the characters to how some of the scares were timed, everything is built up to something. It helped me enjoy this film a lot more as I was expecting something different.
This is one film that torture porn and supernatural fans will love, as this keeps you on the edge of your seat. With its very good direction and its scary moments, “Pernicious” will fright you in many ways.
Review Ratings: Four Stars
