Cold & Dark (2003)

[peter johnson]

     Just saw the creepiest thing I've seen in years -- Not all of it very comprehensible, but eerie nonetheless --
     It's a small British film called Cold & Dark, shot in Cornwall in 2003.  What starts out as a very well-shot, hyperrealistic, ordinary police proceedural -- tough gritty cops go after human cargo smuggling ring -- turns into a supernatural thriller.  Seems one of the cops gets deadded by an unknown bad guy.  As his partner mourns, the dead cop gets up & starts to go about his business.  Surprisingly, this doesn't freak the partner out at all.  "With some guys, this whole living dead thing would be a real $%$^&, but on you it looks good!"  "Being dead has made me a better cop . .  .".
     Well, as you might guess, there's a Spaniard in the works re. the dead cop isn't really quite himself.  Turns out he's become the host for a supernatural parasite that needs -- you guessed it -- copious amounts of blood to live.
     But hey, it's all okay, right?  So long as dead cop & live buddy only go after the bad bad guys & take their blood, who cares?
     Complications ensue . . .
     The acting is all first-rate, the direction and production values very high, and the camera effects & time-distortions help keep you off-balance & heighten the feelings of nausea and terror as things start to go wrong.
     The only thing that bugged me was the ending isn't particularly unique, which is a shame considering the rest of the film was so off-kilter.
     Despite that, I'd say go rent this thing if you want to be really creeped out.
peter johnson/denny crane