Cookers

Cookers was quite a movie. When I made my first attempt to watch it, I was expecting to see a simple story about drug addicts fighting off evil spirits, much like any other low budget haunted house horror flick that we've all seen before, but with an interesting twist in that the main characters were speed freaks. After watching about thirty minutes I had to shut it off to take a break. With only three characters and an empty house in the woods, Cookers manages to create such a tense and unsettling atmosphere that I found it to be almost unbearable at times.

The story could indeed be viewed as a simple one, as we see a young couple, Hector and Dorena, who are on the run with a crystal meth lab in their van and are looking for a place to set up shop for a while to lay low. With the help of Hector's buddy Merle, they find a secluded house that has been abandoned on the outskirts of town and make it their temporary home. Dorena is a "cooker", who specializes in actually making the crystal meth so that it can be sold on the street. Hector's specialty is doing crystal meth, so they are a good couple. Things get spooky and strange very quickly after Hector and Dorena get high, as the house may not be completely empty after all... Are they seeing ghosts or just hallucinating? And will Merle eventually betray them to cash in on the deal himself? Brad Hunt plays Hector, and he deserves much credit for holding this flick together. His acting in Cookers is award worthy. I don't remember ever seeing a junkie portrayed with such realism. Cyia Batten as Dorena was also impressive. The two of them worked very well together. Even Patrick McGaw was believable as Merle, who provided brief moments of comic relief and added a much-needed element to the film. All three actors delivered the goods and were always interesting to watch.

Cookers also succeeds in the writing and directing department. Although it doesn't have a big budget, the few special effects that we do see are suited to the shooting style of the film, and never distract from the overall sense of "what's real and what's not" that keeps you guessing until the end. But this movie is not about building to a big twist or tricking its viewer. It is about drawing you into a bleak world of fear and hopelessness, and director Dan Mintz does an admirable job in capturing these emotions on film. Jack Moore and Jeff Ritchie wrote the script, and it is fresh with gritty realism and excellent dialog. Merle tells a bizarre story one night as the three of them are getting stoned, and it is truly chilling. Dorena also tells a story to Hector about her past, and it was heart wrenching.

Cookers is not a film for everyone, nor do I think that I will ever watch it again. It is a movie that I will always remember, and one that I am very glad that I saw. Although the ending is somewhat weak, it is a relentless and riveting story that will appeal to those with an open mind who are in the mood for something different.

I loved this movie. I loved it because it was disturbing and it cuts to the core of all our fears, touches on every insecurity. It was a wild ride that respects its audience. It forces us to think and analyze or interpret. No cliff-notes here-- it is up to you to decide for yourself what the film means, what is happening, how it affects you. The acting was superb. Each character clearly defined and sussed-out. Brad Hunt gave a strong performance, if at times, slightly exaggerated. Cyia Batten's performance was impressive, gut-wrenchingly touching and extraordinarily brave, particularly being the only female to have to stand against two, very powerful men. Patrick McGaw was unrecognizable and fantastic-- funny and tragic all at once. In my opinion, awards should be doled out here to each one of them for what they brought to the table but if I had to pick just one, I would have to pick Cyia Batten, who plays the heartbreaking Dorena. It is not easy to embody vulnerability and power at the same time and yet she appeared to do it with ease. The editing can be dizzying at times, fast paced and over-stimulating but it fit perfectly considering the nature of the demons these characters fought. It almost got you into their heads for a time. Overall, I was moved, scared, saddened, angered, overwhelmed by this movie. I couldnt get it out of my head for a long time. I hope this movie does well, because everybody should see the raw, brutal truth of drug addiction annd losing oneself to their own private demons.

Most low budget horror movies are pretty bad, hence the desire to watch a lot of them hoping to find the gem that publicity has overlooked. This is that gem.

The storyline deals with a crew of methampetamine cookers who hole up in an old house to make drugs. Since this is a horror movie, the house must be haunted, and of course it is. That the plot is predictable doesn't take away from the entertainment; you might know what's coming, but the way it's presented is the enjoyable part here.

The pacing, the story, the acting - all good. The way that tension was gradually ratcheted up throughout the film speaks well of the director. I especially enjoyed the brief hints that the people were not alone in the house, somewhat reminiscent of The Grudge, but not as blatant.

You'll know how it's going to end, of course, and that's OK. Again, knowing doesn't detract from the movie in any way. The humor is understated, the horror is creepy, and the cast is entirely believable.

"Cookers" sure was a nice surprise, as I expected very little from it. A good tagline for this one could possibly be "Tweeker Hell", or something. Because I've seen quite a few people act a bit "weird" while "under the influence", but those were a far cry from the way freak-junky Hector behaved in this flick. Man, that guy was messed up. Totally. The whole time. It might have been an accurate portrayal when it comes to "speedy" behaviour. It might have been exaggerated. But I do not want to even know how much dope it takes to make a guy act like him. Anyway, so the drug-part was pretty fascinating in this one, but the 'ghostly/haunted'-part was, well, pretty good (with the creepy stuff interacting with possible drug-induced hallucinations and all), but near the end it seemed like the movie went a little too "Blair Witch" for my tastes. Well, at least that's how it seemed, because unfortunately my DVD started messing-up near the end (pause-continue-pauze-etc), so I couldn't quite make out all that was happening there... Still, I'll gladly give this one another watch, just to see what's up with the ending.

"Blair Witch" was hailed as the pinnacle of ultra-low budget, ultra-small cast indie horror, but "Cookers" simply blows it out of the water. The suspense builds perfectly from start to finish in this film (both suspense between the characters and their surroundings and between the characters themselves) to an exhilarating crescendo. This movie cost next to nothing to make, yet the budget is reflected in neither the direction nor the acting. The direction may put some people off, but it so accurately captures the frenetic, drugged-out mood, that one cannot help but be drawn into the movie's very uncomfortable world. Brad Hunt is bound to start turning heads with several roles in upcoming major releases.

More than being a horror ("suspense" or "terror" might be a more accurate description) it's a compelling story with good dialogue that is flawlessly delivered. There really isn't a dull moment. All in all, my only complaint about this film is its flimsy resolution--that being said, I can't recommend this movie highly enough, even to those who typically shy away from the horror genre.