The Banshee Chapter is without doubt one of the most frightening and genuinely creepy films that you will have seen for some time. This is despite being full of references seen many times before, a plot that is at times a little thin and with scare tactics that have been over-used in recent productions such as Paranormal Activity and the like. The difference here though is the skill with which these elements are brought together.
The film opens with authentic archive footage of several United States presidents and officials apologising for experiments that took place on human subjects in the 1960’s. The nature of these experiments was the use of a chemical substance known as MK-ULTRA that was injected into “volunteers” in order to induce mind control but which instead created a paranoid and aggressive response.
In investigating this research James (Michael McMillan) has obtained a small phial of the chemical and enlists his friend to document his taking of it. Very quickly it is clear that something is terribly wrong which results in James disappearing and his friend being arrested for his apparent murder. Anne (Katia Winter) is James’ best friend, and possibly more, from college who decides to investigate his disappearance and in doing so tracks down Thomas Blackburn (Ted Levine), a kind of Hunter S. Thompson like author whom she persuades to help her. As they look deeper into the apparent conspiracy events take a horrific turn as their lives become threatened.
There is little in The Banshee Chapter that has not been seen before but it is done with such subtlety as to be hugely effective. Writer and director Blair Erickson switches between standard filming to footage shot by the characters effortlessly and this easily draws you into the story, putting you right beside the characters as they push further into the unknown despite their fears. There is a growing sense of dread throughout as all the while you know something is coming but you just don’t know quite what or when, or exactly just how bad it is going to be. The cast are good on the whole with Ted Levine seemingly relishing his role as the heavy drinking anti-hero who may or may not know more than he is letting on. One thing that does come across strongly though is the genuine terror that is being felt by the characters with you left in little doubt how scary and intense the situations are.
OVERALL SUMMARY
It is refreshing to come across a film such as Banshee Chapter. It is proof if it were needed that the execution of an idea is just as important, if not sometimes more so than the idea itself. Instead of overloading the audience with repetitive jump scares, although there are plenty, and periods of nothing happening at all the filmmakers have created a tense and almost overbearing feeling that permeates throughout the film and almost reaches out of the screen towards you. This is a triumph of modern horror and deserves as wide an audience as possible. Banshee Chapter is possibly the most frightening film to be seen in 2013 and achieves this through subtle, intelligent use of well known generic conventions in a way that should be a lesson to all aspiring and many existing horror filmmakers.
