The Void (2016)

Sometimes, cool and/or great films come at you from an unexpected angle. Very often, they go unnoticed by the masses, which is a shame to be certain, but then again: if everyone loved something, it does take the shine off it, doesn't it?

Not that 'The Void' is a true gem, but it's one hell of an interesting and fun horrorfilm in an ocean of total overrated crap.

You can keep your 'Annabelle' or 'Conjuring'-tripe. I've really had it with that artsy fartsy found footage bullshit that has little to offer except forced jumpscares. You can stick 'The Nun' where the sun doesn't shine, she'll like it there. I want my horror to not be phoned in, to be something disjointed, different, eerie, creepy and above all: devoid of an overuse of CGI when it's not needed.

See, that is one thing I dislike about modern horror: they often know their story is weak, and they try to make up for it with a ton of CGI and loud, sharp noises. But that isn't scary or disturbing, it's just a cheap way of getting people to jump up out of their seat.

Now, 'The Void' is devoid of that sort of thing (I'm sorry, the joke wrote itself). It doesn't have lame ass jumpscares, it doesn't have annoying soundstings. What it does have in spades is atmosphere, a truly disorienting feel that makes you question your own sanity and above all: practical effects. Just that last thing alone should interest a lot of people, because it is a mere fact that when something is truly there on the screen and people have to interact with it, it feels more tangible. And this film went all out, for which I applaud the makers heartily.

In a way, this film often reminds of the glorious Italian horror of the seventies and eighties. What plot there is, is paperthin and the focus is more on creating a disturbing vision with lots of atmosphere, leaving viewers to either just undergo it or try to find some sense in it all, thus ensuring several uneasy nights of pondering what the actual fudge happened.

One night, a lone police officer discovers a man on the road who is hurt and disoriented. He takes him to the nearest hospital, which is on the brink of closing down and is run by a skeletoncrew. And from that point on, things just get batshit insane. There are creepy cultists in white robes and wearing the mark of a triangle, there are things that go bump in the night and in the midst of it all, both the characters and the viewers are trying to make sense of it all.

I make a point of not spoiling anything here, even though when certain parts click into place, it still is a bizarre mess, but story wasn't what the makers were going for here. This is why I liken this one to stuff from Argento of Fulci: the story is second to the setpieces and the dread. And have I mentioned the awesomely gory special effects? They look great and fleshy, which is fitting considering this takes place in a hospital.

'The Void' has gone mostly unnoticed, which is a real shame. A lot of effort was put into this and it's a lot better than you might think. It doesn't overexplain, it just drops you straight into a maddening hell and things stay intense all the way through.

It might not be for most people, but if you have a soft spot for horror, you should give this one a try.