Shrooms

Director: Paddy Breathnach

Starring: Lindsey Haun, Max Kasch, Jack Huston

Shrooms is a warning to anybody thinking about travelling into the countryside and taking copious amounts of drugs. In this twisted teen horror, a band of American teenagers is lured into the Irish woodland by their friend Jake (Huston) who has promised them a trip (in both senses of the word) of a lifetime. What they do not expect is that certain ‘shrooms’ cause horrific visions. Even more grisly is the fact that when these youths awaken from the hallucinations, they realise that the carnage portrayed in them has actually happened. As the teens are picked off one-by-one, those who have not yet suffered torture and death must find a way of stopping the mayhem before no one survives.

Breathnach stylishly blurs the boundaries between hallucinations and reality, giving the movie an interesting creative touch and setting it apart from the standard teen slasher movie. It leaves the viewer as unsure about the situation as the victim on screen which mounts the tension. The washed out colour scheme gives the film an eerie look and adds to the overall suspense. The picturesque setting of this movie also makes it more enjoyable to watch and provides a beautiful background to the often chilling scenes.

There is a nice balance present between character-developing dialogue scenes and suspense-filled actions shots. Breathach knows how to keep an audience on the edge of their seats; the hazy, eerie setting is enough to send a chill down your spine. This film is also a great combination of classic horror scenarios like the obligatory campfire scene with new drug-linked scenes, such as the talking cow. And haters of the ‘gorno’ genre will be pleased to hear that the violence is not excessively brutal unlike many horror movies of recent years.

The relatively unknown cast bounce off each other nicely and are believable as a group of friends, bringing forth some unexpectedly entertaining characters. Anyone looking for an original horror with a twist should definitely check this solid debut out; its cast, setting and stylish presentation combine to provide the audience with a nerve-jangling thrill-ride!

Julia Huntenburg