Fang

FANG is a great, compelling film that is both a body horror film and a psychological horror film. The main character, played by Dylan LaRay, has some autistic tendenceis and pretty miserable life. He has a terrible job with a horrible boss and he lives with his mother, who has serious physical and mental problems. She suffers from Parkinson's Disease and her condition is rapidly deteriorating. Lowry gives one of her greatest performances, able to change her mood and tone very quickly, as when she gets angry. She can be a monster at times, but at other times can be a good mother. After Dylan gets bitten by a rat, he starts growing fur on his arms, and this is where the film becomes a gross Cronenbergian body horror film.

The acting is first rate- in fact, I am still angry at Dylan's boss for being such a jerk. LaRay is incredible and gives a strong emotional performance. He evidences some traits of schizophrenia and through his art and comic book drawing, he has created a new universe for himself, as he does not seem to fit in this one. His acting is great but Lynn Lowry steals the film. I have been a fan of hers for my entire life and this is one of her most serious and intense roles. At times, she is truly evil and tyrannical, at other times she is weak and vulnerable. At all times her acting is superb and realistic.

There are several other things that elevate this film to a modern classic.

First is the beautiful cinematography, and second is the editing, which is innovative and realistic and propels the story forward. The chemistry between the two leads is great and when the kid and his mother are arguing things get really exciting.

According to IMDB, this is the first full length film from director Richard Burgin. This is hard to believe, because the film is so well made that I assumed while watching it that the director had more experience. He is definitely someone to watch and I look forward to his next film. With its harsh look at autism, schizophrenia and Parkinsons Disease, this film does a great job at capturing these illnesses in its characters, and fans of psychological suspense (and body horror) are sure to enjoy this great film with its realistic performances of degeneration, angst, frustration, anger, and jealousy.

Like a combination of Requiem for a Dream, Donnie Darko, American Psycho, and Adam Wingard's films. It's rare to see such a strong and vivid madcap sense of humor in a low-budget indie film. The movie keeps progressing and escalating toward madness. You could take it as a metaphor for growing up and leaving the nest. The performances are all very much on point. And the camerawork, editing, and direction exhibit a level of impeccable craftsmanship that at times touches mastery. It operates with a strong cult classic vibe. There were hypnotic stretches where I was sitting there like, "Holy god almighty this is awesome." Very strong, strange trip that will absorb and zap you. Richard Burgin is definitely a filmmaker to watch.

I saw Fang at a festival in Madison and was blown away by this dark, twisted, but very entertaining movie which blends surreal body horror and domestic psychological dread, with a mother/son dynamic so dysfunctional, it rivals Norman Bates' maternal bond in Psycho. It helps that both performances by mother and son are electric and delightfully unpredictable, each tick and quirk feels earned. They are compulsively watchable and so is the film. I really felt transported into a subjective dreamscape that unravels into a nightmare. But despite some really immersive visuals and sound design, Fang never loses focus on its characters, keeping it grounded despite the fantastical premise. It's hard to believe this is a debut low-budget feature because it's already got such a distinct authorial voice and is so well put together in all aspects. It looks and sounds incredible and really sucks you in!

Fang first came on my radar when I was fortunate enough to interview writer/director Richard Burgin for a podcast. Based on the promo images I saw and Burgin's description of the film, I was expecting a grindhouse creature romp.

What I got instead was a highly intelligent shocker about what it's like living with and dealing with a loved one's mental health decline. As someone who recently lost his mother and dealt with her mental decline at the end, this film hit very close to home for me.

Billy Cochran (Dylan LaRay) is a 23 year old working at a warehouse to support himself and his mother (the always lovely Lynn Lowry) who is suffering from stage 5 Parkinson's and mentally declining sharply.

After being bitten by a rat, Billy starts to itch. Then the tufts of hair start to appear. The problem is, they also disappear. Is this real? Is Billy really turning into a rat? Or is it all in his head? His mental decline seems to mirror his mother's as his mother's new caregiver, Myra (Jess Paul) tries her best to take care of them both.

This is absolutely a cut above your average indie horror flick. This isn't a horror flick. This is a horror film. Mark my words....keep your eye on Richard Burgin, because he's going places and he's going to take us along for some wild rides.

Richard Burgin delivers with Fang on all levels. Engaging story, great cinematography, killer sets and phenomenal acting by all especially the lead and Lynn Lowry. The chemistry between these two was excellent and kept you on edge. The rest of the cast was great. Very impressive score and sound design helped to get the frantic and nerve wracking scenes across. The use of the lighting and colors helped tell the story especially in the bar scenes. I can't forget the gory and realistic practical Fx that was in the movie. I'm a big fan of practical Fx and glad to see this in this film. Check this out and share the love!!