Connect with us

News

Roxy Shih’s ‘Painkillers’ Confronts the Horrors of Loss, PTSD, and Addiction

Published

on

Painkillers

Written by Giles Daoust (Starry Eyes) and directed by Roxy Shih (The Tribe), Painkillers is one of those films that, in lesser hands, could have fallen apart easily becoming a caricature of itself.

In the film, Doctor John Clarke (Adam Huss) and his young son, Brian (Tate Birchmore), have to cut soccer practice short when he receives a call from the hospital that his surgical skills are needed. Brian is upset at having to leave early so John does what he can to take the boy’s mind off of it, playing games in the car to pass the time.

Unfortunately, John’s divided attention leads to a terrible accident. Two days later, he regains consciousness in the hospital and his wife Chloe (Madeline Zima), tells him that their son has died.

Painkillers dealing with loss
Madeline Zima and Adam Huss mourn their son in Painkillers

Upon hearing the news, John’s entire body seizes with unbearable pain that no drug seems able to touch. For days, he trembles, screams, and begs for relief that will not come. When his friend and fellow doctor Gail (Debra Wilson) tells him she believes that the problem is emotional rather than physical, she makes the decision to send him home in the hopes that familiar surroundings will help him heal.

John’s body, still wracked with horrible tremors, betrays him at every turn until one night he accidentally cuts open his hand. Without thought, he lifts his hand and licks away the blood only to discover that his pain lessens, the tremors subside, and for the first time in days he finds some peace.

Faced with a terrifying possibility, John begins to experiment, finding that blood truly is the only thing that takes away his pain, and begins a journey that will affect everyone around him.

On the surface, this could be just a new spin on vampirism. John is a man cursed with an “unnatural” hunger and becomes a pariah.

Shih and Daoust, however, have crafted a multi-layered story that is as intelligent as it is scary.

Painkillers addiction
John (Adam Huss) gives in to his desires by punishing himself in Painkillers.

John, through his need for blood, becomes a living embodiment of the effects of PTSD and addiction which could have gone horribly awry without Huss’s sensitive portrayal under Shih’s direction.

He does not revel in the relief that he feels after consuming blood. Instead, he fights the instinct, pushes back against the need, and more than once gives in despite his best efforts.

Huss handles this inner turmoil with enviable ease and brutal honesty, but his performance is just one of many stellar turns in Painkillers.

Madeline Zima, who many remember as a child actress in the Fran Drescher driven sitcom “The Nanny,” proves those days are behind her giving a powerfully emotional performance as John’s wife whose grief at the loss of her son remains an open wound she cannot tend to because of everything happening to her husband.

It’s a pointed portrait of the fact that PTSD and other mental health issues can easily reach into every corner of a person’s life and that family and friends experience the trauma as well.

Likewise, Debra Wilson’s performance is spot on as a doctor witnessing what is happening to John and trying to piece everything together even when her logical medical mind cannot quite accept what she’s seeing

Painkillers doctor
Dr. Gail Konrad (Debra Wilson) counsels her friend and patient (Adam Huss) in Painkillers.

And then, there’s Dustin Morgan’s work on the film. The talented composer provides an evocative score that perfectly tonally complements what we see onscreen, amplifying emotions in the way that only great music can.

If you’re looking for excellent storytelling, genuine tension, and a new spin on an old trope, this is the film for you.

Painkillers hits Video on Demand this week, February 4, 2019. Check out the trailer below!

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Click to comment

You must be logged in to post a comment Login

Leave a Reply

News

Brad Dourif Says He’s Retiring Except For One Important Role

Published

on

Brad Dourif has been doing movies for nearly 50 years. Now it seems he is walking away from the industry at 74 to enjoy his golden years. Except, there is a caveat.

Recently, digital entertainment publication JoBlo’s Tyler Nichols talked to some of the Chucky television series cast members. During the interview, Dourif made an announcement.

“Dourif said that he’s retired from acting,” says Nichols. “The only reason he came back for the show was because of his daughter Fiona and he considers Chucky creator Don Mancini to be family. But for non-Chucky stuff, he considers himself retired.”

Dourif has voiced the possessed doll since 1988 (minus the 2019 reboot). The original movie “Child’s Play” has become such a cult classic it’s at the top of some people’s best chillers of all time. Chucky himself is ingrained in pop culture history much like Frankenstein or Jason Voorhees.

While Dourif may be known for his famous voiceover, he is also an Oscar-nominated actor for his part in One Flew Over the Cuckoo’s Nest. Another famous horror role is The Gemini Killer in William Peter Blatty’s Exorcist III. And who can forget Betazoid Lon Suder in Star Trek: Voyager?

The good news is that Don Mancini is already pitching a concept for season four of Chucky which might also include a feature-length movie with a series tie-in. So, Although Dourif says he is retiring from the industry, ironically he is Chucky’s friend till the end.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Editorial

7 Great ‘Scream’ Fan Films & Shorts Worth a Watch

Published

on

The Scream franchise is such an iconic series, that many budding filmmakers take inspiration from it and make their own sequels or, at least, build upon the original universe created by screenwriter Kevin Williamson. YouTube is the perfect medium to showcase these talents (and budgets) with fan-made homages with their own personal twists.

The great thing about Ghostface is that he can appear anywhere, in any town, he just needs the signature mask, knife, and unhinged motive. Thanks to Fair Use laws it’s possible to expand upon Wes Craven’s creation by simply getting a group of young adults together and killing them off one by one. Oh, and don’t forget the twist. You’ll notice that Roger Jackson’s famous Ghostface voice is uncanny valley, but you get the gist.

We have gathered five fan films/shorts related to Scream that we thought were pretty good. Although they can’t possibly match the beats of a $33 million blockbuster, they get by on what they have. But who needs money? If you’re talented and motivated anything is possible as proven by these filmmakers who are well on their way to the big leagues.

Take a look at the below films and let us know what you think. And while you’re at it, leave these young filmmakers a thumbs up, or leave them a comment to encourage them to create more films. Besides, where else are you going to see Ghostface vs. a Katana all set to a hip-hop soundtrack?

Scream Live (2023)

Scream Live

Ghostface (2021)

Ghostface

Ghost Face (2023)

Ghost Face

Don’t Scream (2022)

Don’t Scream

Scream: A Fan Film (2023)

Scream: A Fan Film

The Scream (2023)

The Scream

A Scream Fan Film (2023)

A Scream Fan Film
Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading

Movies

Another Creepy Spider Movie Hits Shudder This Month

Published

on

Good spider films are a theme this year. First, we had Sting and then there was Infested. The former is still in theaters and the latter is coming to Shudder starting April 26.

Infested has been getting some good reviews. People are saying that it’s not only a great creature feature but also a social commentary on racism in France.

According to IMDb: Writer/director Sébastien Vanicek was looking for ideas around the discrimination faced by black and Arab-looking people in France, and that led him to spiders, which are rarely welcome in homes; whenever they’re spotted, they’re swatted. As everyone in the story (people and spiders) is treated like vermin by society, the title came to him naturally.

Shudder has become the gold standard for streaming horror content. Since 2016, the service has been offering fans an expansive library of genre movies. in 2017, they began to stream exclusive content.

Since then Shudder has become a powerhouse in the film festival circuit, buying distribution rights to movies, or just producing some of their own. Just like Netflix, they give a film a short theatrical run before adding it to their library exclusively for subscribers.

Late Night With the Devil is a great example. It was released theatrically on March 22 and will begin streaming on the platform starting April 19.

While not getting the same buzz as Late Night, Infested is a festival favorite and many have said if you suffer from arachnophobia, you might want to take heed before watching it.

Infested

According to the synopsis, our main character, Kalib is turning 30 and dealing with some family issues. “He’s fighting with his sister over an inheritance and has cut ties with his best friend. Fascinated by exotic animals, he finds a venomous spider in a shop and brings it back to his apartment. It only takes a moment for the spider to escape and reproduce, turning the whole building into a dreadful web trap. The only option for Kaleb and his friends is to find a way out and survive.”

The film will be available to watch on Shudder starting April 26.

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Listen to the 'Eye On Horror Podcast'

Continue Reading