Unrest

Like all of After Dark's Horrorfest films Unrest is an interesting selection but unlike most of the others the film is pretty successful at what it aims to do, most of which is entertain. Unrest tells the original and inventive story of a group of med students who disrespect a cadaver and pay the price for it. The film's storyline is a little more complex and campy than that but the other stuff is better seen and not read about. This film works because it's cheesy, it doesn't take itself too seriously. And because of the silliness sometimes it inspires laughs that I believe are mostly intentional. The main performance by Corri English is quite impressive and the cast is very attractive and talented. The film is creepy but not terrifying and does sport some grotesque med lab imagery and a terrifying sequence inside a cadaver tank. I'm not sure if I really enjoyed this film because the rest of them were pretty much stinkers, or if it was because it had better sound and film quality. But one thing is for sure I did enjoy this film the most. It offers more of what i came to see little horror gems that are never seen by mainstream audiences. It's graphic, a little disturbing, original and memorable. Unrest may not be a great film but it's very good at what it's supposed to be. It rattles your nerves and brings something new to the table. what else can you ask for, in a horror film?It's also very impressive for the simple reason that it had such a low budget and manages to have such a great creepy but some what over the top score and uses it's surroundings so greatly never reducing itself into using cheesy cgi. It instead opts for a more traditional and story based approach, which it pulls off nicely

Let me start off by saying it's not a bad film. I didn't hate it, I just didn't fall in love with it. But I'm glad I watched it.

The cinematography is very good, the whole piece is generally rather beautiful. But can beauty make up for a lack of plot or substance? The first half is very good. Scrap that the first two thirds are very good. The build up, the general air of unease created, spot on. Then we have this particular films 'reveal' and it all quickly goes downhill from there.

Don't get me wrong, if you are a horror fan I would recommend this over any Saw (bar the original) any day, if only for the originality of the setting. I just don't see it going mainstream.

Oh, one more thing; you will never see the phrase 'dipping your toe in the water' in the same light again!

Cori English is a new med student working with cadavers who feels there's something strange about the body of a young woman the med students have to dissect. She senses the woman has a back story that involves something evil and with the help of a medical colleague (SCOT DAVIS), she goes about an investigation.

So much for the logic of the plotting before things begin to happen that make no sense whatsoever. The horror depends on whether you're frightened of the undead aspect of the story--supposedly featuring real cadavers for the medical sequences. When the most sympathetic and respectful student dealing with the dead is murdered, you have to wonder what the deal is.

The most professional member of the cast is DERRICK O'CONNOR as Dr. Blackwell, with SCOT DAVIS running a close second. Cori English is a bland leading lady as the investigative med student but the rest of the cast is adequate enough for this low-key horror film.

Summing up: Even a few surprising twists can't save a poorly scripted suspenser. No rational explanation can save the back story about spirits--some nonsense about sacrificial rites to an Aztec God--from being more than a little illogical.

One of the "8 Films To Die For" that was part of the After Dark Horror Film Festival in November 2006, "Unrest" boasts a unique idea for a story. The film centers around a group of medical students, mainly Allison (Corri English). She groups up with a few guys in her new anatomy class to begin dissection on a cadaver. She is a little grossed out by the entire thing, and begins feeling an uncomfortable presence when around the corpse, which appears to be a woman who was either murdered or killed herself. Of course, nobody thinks anything of Allison's strange feelings around the corpse, and dismiss it as her being a little paranoid, since it is her first time working with a cadaver. But they soon believe her when strange things start happening around the school. And those who came in contact with the cadaver begin to die one by one. But why? The identity of the body may hold the secret, and it's up to Allison to find out.

I went in seeing this film with fairly low expectations, so I wasn't too horribly disappointed with it. I actually thought the movie had a great story, and it was at least a step in the right direction, and different from most of today's horror films. Working with human cadavers has got to be a little eerie anyway, and adding on a supernatural layer to it all is really clever. The only problem here is the story becomes a little wishy-washy as the movie progresses. It started off pretty well and was good for the first thirty minutes or so, but it soon began going downhill, which was a real disappointment considering the potential that it had. The opening shot is really spooky - that woman's strange facial expressions and her staring eyes gave me chills. But the entire history behind her character is where this movie really falls flat. It's disorganized and becomes too muddled. Most of her story is told through character dialog that lasts about five seconds, and some things are more unclear than they should be. I wish they had elaborated on her background more, because it could have been a really creepy story.

Like most of these low-budget indie horror flicks, the cast isn't huge in names, which isn't a bad thing. I didn't recognize the cast members, but I thought the acting was pretty decent. Corri English was the leading lady and she was pretty good - convincing enough in her role. As far as horror clichés go, there weren't too many which was surprising. There are a few silly moments though, especially the entire formaldehyde-tank swimming sequences, which were a little overdone if you ask me. Can you even swim in that stuff anyway? It seems like it would be toxic to your body. I won't pick it to pieces though, you just have to take it for what it is.

Overall, "Unrest" is a decent horror movie that sets out what it aims to do - entertain. The film went downhill a little as it progressed and the story needed some work, but it was a watchable movie with a few nice thrills and an interesting (albeit different) storyline. If you enjoy supernatural-themed horror movies, this wouldn't be a bad rental - you could do much worse. 6/10.

"Unrest" is a film that I had heard about through the horror film community, and I was truly excited about the project. Film-maker Jason Todd Ipson had a decent following, and the buzz about him and this film, was boiling over... When opportunity knocked, I purchased the movie and anticipated an evening of pure terror. First, I must say that the cinematography looks great. Ipson has a keen eye for what makes a scene creepy, with a top-notch lighting scheme and brooding camera angles. The acting is well above average, with solid performances from the entire cast. Yet, the concept is the part that drew me in... The idea of a group on med students whom unearth the dark past of one of their cadavers is both original and scary. Ipson corralled all the right elements, but falls short with the screenplay, which seems to sputter and stall before any real horror transpires. As a whole, I think it has it's merits, and Mr. Ipson should have a promising future.