Billy O’Brien’s debut feature film is a highly impressive tale about a group of five people who find themselves quarantined on a quiet farm when a genetic experiment goes horrifically wrong.
As the film begins we discover that farmer Dan has allowed a scientist to experiment on one of his cattle. The cow is near birth and as the vet Orla checks her out she is bitten by the fetus. When the cow finally gives birth during a particularly traumatic time, the calf takes a bite out of Dan too. Fearing that there may be an infection present, Orla and Dan call in the scientist behind the project who puts them, as well as two travellers camping out nearby, under quarantine. The group soon discovers that the fetuses are reproducing at an alarmingly fast rate, and they have to kill them all before they escape into society.
The film has an atmosphere of unease and dread from the get go, despite its beautiful locations. It is disgusting, gory, and genuinely scary. It benefits from great camera work, a fantastic and highly talented cast and the most impressively well orchestrated jump scares I have seen since Alien (apart from The Descent of course).
This film is genuinely unsettling and really does make you think hard about recent newspaper reports regarding issues such as genetically engineered cloning and BSE.
Isolation is a perfectly crafted chiller that wholeheartedly deserved a wide theatrical run. Props go to Lionsgate for picking this one up and giving it some much deserved attention on DVD.
OVERALL SUMMARY
If you’re looking for an intelligent well crafted chiller with excellent scares and practical effects work rent this. See it now!
