(Screener Copy)Directed by Jason Hawkins
Written by Jason Hawkins
Stars: Bob Olin, Natasha Timpani, Dara Davey, Alicia Rose, Mayan Lewis and Jason Hawkins as 'Edward Payne'
Its not
often I admit to struggling with the content of a horror movie (so don’t expect
it to happen again!) but here is a film that really challenged me. It isn’t
because it’s a bad film, it’s actually really well made, brilliantly acted and
downright chilling. However it’s also unflinchingly graphic and hardcore in
places and there were several moments I really found difficult to watch. If you
check out the movies official website here - you will see this is all intended in what
they were trying to convey with 15.
15 tells the story of Jack Hamil, a
struggling camera man who leaves his wife to travel to the home of self
confessed serial killer Edward 'Ed' Payne in order to document him before he
hands himself over to the police. Joined by the enthusiastic but slightly
acerbic Brenda, the pair intend to elevate their careers by getting into the
mind of a man who has claimed to have killed a number of woman over the past
decade, without the law coming even close to catching him. Meeting the mild
mannered Ed (Played by Director Jason Hawkins) starts a slow burning journey,
which if you are paying attention at the opening credits, cannot possibly end
well - at all.
Scenes in
the opening twenty minutes where Jack hears crying and music in the middle of
the night are absolutely get- under-your-skin creepy. A further fright evoked
by Jack leaving his room to investigate the noises is equally as unnerving and
honestly made me glad I wasn't watching 15 late at night before
switching all the lights off! Things only get more disturbing as the film crew
try to get Ed to open up about his past, indicating very quickly that things
are not right in the slightest. If they were not sure if this guy is for real
or not before, a scene where Ed goes ballistic and storms out tells them
otherwise. So the creepy atmosphere and uncomfortable tension has been well and
truly set up by this point, but that’s nothing compared to the horrors that
soon occur. There is one scene later on in the movie that is so utterly
repulsive that I struggled not to stop the movie for a break. It is very
graphic, doesn’t shy away from anything and makes for seriously horrific viewing.
The
acting in 15 is brilliant, with no exceptions. The material is so dark,
brutal and raw that it required actors who could really step up to the
challenge, and you definitely get there here - particularly in case of the
three leads. Natasha Timpani plays the ambitious, budding journalist perfectly.
Brenda is ultimately a very complex character and I think Natasha tapped into
her various personality shifts excellently. She starts out a bit cold towards
Jack - she knows what she wants and what she intends to gain from the project
and isn't prepared to settle for less - be it subpar equipment or ineffective
shots or camera angles. Her facial expressions depicting her discomfort and
weariness in the earlier scenes are superb. The character goes onto becoming a
warmer person once she realises Jack is good at his job and the project is
going better than they had hoped. However this doesn't last as Brenda suddenly
goes all femme fatale about halfway through the movie leading her to a very
grisly discovery. I don’t want to spoil anything for readers but there’s even
more to come from Brenda before the movies end so hats off to Natasha Timpani
for her multi faceted portrayal of a truly fascinating character. Jack Hamil is
very convincing as a guy beaten down by life, desperate to make amends with his
wife financially. He is only doing this project with one goal in mind and that’s
to provide for the wife he feels he has let down. Unfortunately for Jack he
gets pulled so far into Ed Payne’s twisted world that there isn’t any coming
back. His screams of terror and disgust in the film’s final moments show a real
talent and made me truly feel for him, despite some of his previous, shall we
say questionable, actions. Director Jason Hawkins plays the twisted mad man
Payne almost too well...here is a man you would never want to find
yourself alone with. Happy smiles and offbeat quips mask a hideous monster who
is not at all choosy about who he inflicts torment and pain upon. Once that
monster is fully revealed, Ed Payne becomes a character who may just haunt me
for some time to come. This terrifying killers final words at the end of the
film will likely leave you cold.
The
movie also pulls off two twists in the brutal finale. One of these I had
guessed from a previous dialogue from one character and the
other...well...stunned me...and continued to stun me after the reveal. This
aspect of the film will really get to viewers, I can guarantee!
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