The Super Network

Horror is a genre I love, that is no secret. I have a strange fascination with the genre, and I will sit through anything slapped with the horror tag. It is subjective though; anything can be horror – just in many different ways.

My Dad once said to me that the nightly news was the true horror, and whatever I saw on there would probably have more of a lasting impression than any horror film because it was real. I am sure this mentally has come to the minds of many people, no doubt it was a reason why some chose to make films with a hand held camera – to add a kind of realism to the scare and horror factor. I certainly find that affective with Cannibal Holocaust, and to an extent it worked with The Blair Witch Project, [REC], Chronicle, the criminally underseen The Poughkeepsie Tapes, Lake Mungo and Exhibit A. However for the most part, found footage films just don’t seem to work for me, and I am always hesitant before venturing into one. I don’t always find it believable and it really harms the experience, because we as an audience are meant to buy it.

Hate Crime is a film that can be considered part of the found footage sub-genre; shot actually in real time (at least I felt it was) and with very long takes. It is perhaps one of the hand full of films in this sub-genre that works, it feels believable and I could fully buy why the camera was rolling and what was happening. A rare thing, that director/writer/countless other jobs that James Cullen Bressack nailed perfectly. It is for me not a common occurrence for a film of this nature (found-footage) to make me feel so much and to actually be repulsed and disturbed as much as this film did (Exhibit A was another). I would attribute this to it feeling very realistic, scenes that are so intrusive and messed up that I wanted to call for help, and a main situation that is a fear for most everyone.

Synopsis: A family, just arrived in a new neighbourhood, are recording their youngest son’s birthday celebrations on video when their home is suddenly invaded by a bunch of crystal-meth-crazed neo-nazi lunatics…

Now, I can sit through just about anything (the only film I flat out refuse to watch is Sweet Movie) and Hate Crime did push some of my limits, it actually made me feel uncomfortable. Not a bad thing, it is often a good thing to be reminded you can feel these things. Home invasion is a scary thought, it has been the subject of many films in recent years and this one certainly takes the cake. The invaders are unhinged Neo-Nazi’s, the family is unprepared for such horror and what they go through is something I can’t talk about it (watch the film for that). This isn’t a film that has a gimmick, it doesn’t use the hand held camera as one and I was thankful. It isn’t something that one thinks about; instead we are left to fend for ourselves as we witness what is on screen – a punch to the gut if you will. Think about the home invasion scene from Henry: Portrait Of A Serial Killer, only it lasts 70+ minutes and we don’t see the perpetrators watching their home video later.

I must admit there were moments I forgot I was even watching a film, the bathroom scene in particular felt almost too real. I must commend Debbie Diesel as Lindsay for her performance there. The performance as a whole was mostly really good, very intense and unsettling. Perhaps the only flaw I can find is that from time to time One, Two and Three (Jody Barton, Tim Moran and Ian Roberts respectively) over acted – it took me out of the moment a little. I can forgive that because they are playing three characters that are nuts basically. There is a lot of screaming in this film, which is understandable and it certainly tested my limits.

This certainly is a unique experience, a messed up one and something that that genuinely shocked me. This isn’t for those that can’t handle a little extreme, you will need to sit through and experience real human horror. There is no escaping what you see, and the message the film presents is a strong one. Very much well worth your time, just don’t expect sunshine and rainbows.

Rating:

Be sure to check out and ‘Like’ the film’s Facebook Page at facebook.com/HATECRIME2012

Teaser Trailer