Independent director Jason Brown, returns with this homage to old school ghost flicks and slasher movies that became an important part of cinema during the eighties.
As young kids, a group of friends befriend a quiet lad called Morris. Daring each other to do silly stuff, a tragedy occurs and the young Morris is hit by a train and killed.
Many years later, the friends have tried to put what happened behind them but some memories won't stay and the friends soon find themselves fighting for their lives.
Owing a debt to the Friday the 13th franchise, Morris hits the nail on the head with its slow burn and atmospheric feel, without relying on the buckets of blood and hanging entrails that made the Friday series so infamous. And it works better for it. Director Brown uses style and flair over gratuitous gore, relying on suspense and the air of paranoia to see us through.
With a flair for cinematography, Brown deftly turns the working class mining village of Mansfield Woodhouse into a dark and threatening place, filled with fear and dread.
Much applause must also go to the film's cast. Natalie Biggs is able to conjure up the terror needed in the wake of Morris' rampage. However, without a shadow of a doubt, the best of the troupe is Lisa Poisman. Sweet and beautiful, Poisman conveys every emotion needed to push the film along.
As with anything else, the more practice you get, the better you become at your art and in this (his third feature) Jason Brown has gone from strength to strength and shown a remarkable improvement over his, already winning, Dark Vale. With a running time of 75 mins, Brown has nicely packed the story without any superfluous elements and the film rolls along nicely, not once dropping the pace.
Overall, Morris is a nice little flick that is both fun and intriguing. A solid piece of entertainment that shows Jason Brown is one to keep an eye on.
