Intrusion: Disconnected

I was very lucky to be one of the reviewers to see the film before this release and I am very happy to report the sequel surpasses the original and crafts an unnerving psychological and emotional experience.

The cast and crew have created a taught, gritty, relentless slasher film that pulls no punches and feels like a throwback to the brutal intensity of the classic horrors of the 1970s. Excellent acting, engaging writing and a great soundtrack make this THE indie horror of 2020.

A special mention to writer/producer Craig Everett Earl who has put his all into the film and every bit of it shows on screen. The script wonderfully balances old school slasher thrills, surreal and nightmarish apparitions that plague our final girl Holly and a surprisingly strong emotional gut punch.

Intrusion:Disconnected is one of those rare indie horror films that makes you care and feel for the characters and their, often, nasty and upsetting fates. It's surely what sets this film apart from others who just play to the gore & nudity crowd and forget to write characters.

The two lead performances, especially Katie Stewart, are superb. Holly is put through the emotional and physical wringer in the movie and Katie Stewart matches the movie's demands beat for beat and presents a fully fledged, deep and rich character who you root and hope for despite those hopes often being dashed by the evil and unforgiving blade of the menacing and creepy Lee Haycraft.

I have never been a fan of many sequels. It is a rarity when I find one that meets and/or exceeds the original. Intrusion:Disconnected certainly soars above it's predecessor. If you have seen the original, which was quite good, I am sure you will agree that the writing on Disconnected is more meticulous. Better executed. And over-all, superior. Actress Katie Stewart outshines her prior role as Holly. And digs deeper this round to provide more depth to the character. The score perfectly suits the tension of the film. And the bar set for the production value appears to be much higher on Disconnected. If you love 80s slasher films then you must put this on your "to watch" list.

Intrusion: Disconnected continues the story of Holly Jensen and her stalker / killer, Raymond Hummel. The film, set in the vain of such slasher fare as 2007's P2 or 2018's Unsane, has the killer from "Intrusion" return to his murder spree of everyone significant to Holly in order to force a final confrontation where she will either turn and join him or one of them will end up dead. Will she turn? You'll have to watch the film to find out.

The story is terrifying! It's like watching a real life stalking event and the horrors that this one woman has to go through because of some obsessed man. The events of the film are just insane but play out in such a real way. I've always been a sucker for real life trauma type films and this delivers heavily.

I will tell you that the cast was the highlight of the movie. We have an appearance of fan favorite Tiffany Shepis, which is always fun to have her on screen of course. Holly is staying with some friends (Sebrina Scott as Anna & Shawn Taiwone Francis as Ethan) in the film and I have to say they are excellent for the time they got on screen; I'd love to see either of them in leading roles. Katie Stewart actually reminds me a little of Adrianne Palicki, she gives a wholehearted performance throughout her onscreen ordeal. I'd go through the whole cast but probably best for you to just watch them all for yourself. Everyone did a fantastic job, which as we all know, the acting is often the Achilles heel of these movies, so that's pretty impressive on its own.

The only real hiccup I found in the film is that the editing could have been tighter. Keep in mind as a filmmaker myself it's hard to look at any movie with the eyes of an audience rather than the eyes of a director/editor/etc. I'm going to end up being a little more critical than your casual viewer. I felt the pacing slowed things down when they didn't need to be slowed and gave us lots of time to buffer between progression of the story. As I was taught, every moment on screen, every item or person we focus on, every event should move the story forward. But then again, I've only done short films.

Overall, the movie delivers on what it sets out to do. The goal is to terrify and drag the audience along for a horrific chain of events and it does it well. I really felt bad for some of the characters; the carelessness of the protagonist moves you because she was only trying to be free and ends up causing so much harm in a way. She's super traumatized from previous experiences and it is hard to watch if you empathize with the character.

Writer Craig Everett Earl indeed knows how to spin a dreadful story and Director Kyle Cates shows his skill and talent by piecing this horror romp together so proficiently. I hope this team gets to go on and make more thrilling tales together as they did a commendable job with Intrusion: Disconnected

I can't say enough about this movie. This is a fantastic sequel. Amazing story, executed by a great group of actors. Definitely a movie you do not want to miss. I highly recommend this one.

Intrusion Disconnected is a solid film. The writing has matured significantly since the first film. And is one of the few films where the sequel surpasses it's predecessor. Well worth the watch if you are a fan of 80s style slasher films.