Morris

For a low budget feature this one packed a punch. Stunning visuals, great locations, well acted and directed. It created tension well and there were a few nice twists! Highly recommended (but maybe not when you are alone late at night in the dark!)...

Initial Thoughts When I first sat down to watch Morris I didn't know what to expect as I'd never reviewed a film before but the thought of reviewing one that hadn't even been released yet filled me with excitement so I turned off all the lights and got myself comfortable for what lie ahead. After about 5 minutes it began to remind me of the classic B-Horror movies back in the day. I'm not sure if this was the director's intention or if it was the restraints of the production budget but it certainly had a feeling of it. Think "The Evil Dead", think "Re-Animator", think "The Puppet Master",you get the picture, hopefully one day "Morris" can sit alongside the likes of these films ?...only time will tell. I was transfixed from the opening scene, I wanted to know how Courtney had got herself into that predicament, I wanted to know what was next, how the story unfolded, who in fact was this Morris character? What exactly happened to him all those years ago?

The Storyline The story was a good one, a very original one in my opinion and I thought the scenes rolled almost seamlessly into the next one and having learned that the whole budget for the film was a mere £2000 I'd have to say that director Jason Brown has produced nothing short of a miracle. It appears that Brown made a good choice of the cast he needed for this project as from watching the film in its entirety I can see that they worked together well, there was a camaraderie and that they helped produce the correct vision he undoubtedly had in mind when he first had the idea of putting Morris together. His choice of location for his film was another wise choice as it transported the viewer from a sleepy village in the North of England to a much more darker location as the film drew momentum. I particularly liked the "flashbacks" of when the 5 friends were younger as it seemed to fill in the gaps of who Morris was and what had happened to him all those years ago. It was rather reminiscent of the classic film "Stand By Me" and I felt that it lent a nice touch to the film and took the viewer back to a time of innocence. The film had a very unexpected twist at the end and I definitely didn't see that one coming so it's hats off to the director there for keeping the viewer completely in the dark and the suspense a premium right until the last minute. If Brown can produce a film of this quality on a shoestring budget then I can only begin to imagine what delights he can produce when he loosens the purse strings.

However with all positives there has to be a few negatives and my opinion will certainly differ to other reviewers but I did have a few reservations on a couple of scenes which I'd like to draw Brown's attention to. I felt that the pub scene held no gravitas, I don't think it was needed and lent nothing to the story. It seemed rather unnecessary as it appeared that the landlord was fully aware of who Morris was, a "ghost", despite nobody else knowing apart from the 5 friends. If the pub scene had to be used, it would have been beneficial to have it appear a bit longer, maybe get Marcus, Nathan & Sarah to take shelter, collect their thoughts, have some respite and regain control of their emotions. I feel the party scene could have been a little bit more livelier, after all it was meant to be a party and if Morris was to turn up, maybe he could have caused a bit more havoc ? I wasn't too sure about the birthday banner being mirrored either, was this a mistake or was there a reason for it? It may well have been the director's intention for the viewer to pick up on this and realise the reasoning behind it but if there was a reason it was certainly lost on me. There was also the fact Marcus mentioned that he thought it was an 80's party and not a 90's one literally twice in a minute. The first time was funny and relevant as he mentioned Courtney's glow-sticks but the second time confused me somewhat, why did he need to mention it ? who was the lad with the make-up ?, maybe if we could have seen this mystery lad then the second line may have made more sense ? There were a few scenes that I wish had been longer as I felt that would have made the film a little more darker and added to the horror genre. From what I was presented with I felt that some of the scenes appeared rushed and just an after thought on the director's part although as already mentioned earlier, this could well have been down to the film's budget. I would have also liked to have seen more of the cornfield being utilised as I thought the cast could have had "fun" with it as it was such a beautiful scenic location and could have been reminiscent of a few of the scenes from "Signs" but that's probably me just being pedantic as I felt that all the locations were very scenic and I could have quite happily watched more.

The Score I didn't have a problem with this at all. It was subtly haunting and not too overpowering and the viewer always knew when Morris was "on the prowl" as we were presented with his "trademark" electricity sound effect !!

The Cast

Marcus : He had a particular strong introduction when he was first presented on our screen and it felt like he'd be a presence throughout the film and we weren't disappointed. His opening scene was on point and continued for the majority of the time he was on screen. A couple of jokes thrown in despite the horror unfolding around him a few shocked expressions and feeling that you were walking in his shoes as the story grew momentum. I think he, along with Sarah, held the cast together and that they fed off him. If he was meant to be portrayed as the leader of the group then he did a sterling effort and it certainly appeared that way to the viewer.



Sarah : Another one who had a solid performance throughout and the onscreen chemistry between her and Marcus led me to believe there was something a little more deeper than just good friends and this was proven near the end of the film as we saw a flashback of the younger pair, and in particular a younger Marcus, presenting her with a token of his affection.

Courtney : I would have actually liked to have seen a bit more of Courtney as it was her who first got my attention at the beginning of the film, not because she looked so good in a pair of jeans but because I thought her fear of being pursued by Morris actually looked genuine. Her terror in the scrapyard held my attention and the falling car was a very clever scene indeed. If there are any awards to be dished out then Courtney deserves an award solely for managing to run in those high heels of hers !!

Nathan : I couldn't quite warm to Nathan, he appeared to me as a bit of a drip, a little bit dull and dry and not that convincing of a father who had lost his son in unusual circumstances. Maybe it was the director's intention to have him play this type of character, maybe not ? I would have just liked to have seen more emotion from him.

Emily / Milly : Emily had her moments, a particularly strong scene when she recuperated in bed but a quite poor one near the end of the film as it appeared to me, as I have previously mentioned, a little rushed to get that part in the film so I don't know how much of that was down to acting ability or time restraints of the production? Don't get me wrong, Emily produced a consistent performance throughout the film but this later scene unfortunately tarnished it somewhat.

I'd like to give a special mention, although not major cast members in Morris, to the young Sarah & Marcus. I thought they were very good, not just their vocalisation but their facial expressions during and after Morris met his untimely death.

Special Effects / Location I absolutely loved the location, from the rail tracks, the cornfield, the woods and the stream to the scrapyard and the bridge. It reminded me of a summer's day when I was younger with not a care in the world and I could imagine playing out with my friends in the woods and near a rail track so understanding what the 5 friends had gone through all those years ago was very easy to visualise. It made me feel as if I could have been "one of the gang" I liked the missing bus and the skeleton of Harry as it wasn't too gimmicky. We weren't subjected to length at it and it was perfectly timed to show the viewer that at last Harry had been found and Nathan's pain could at last be eased a little. As previously mentioned, the falling car was a clever and unexpected scene and as well as making the viewer jump ever so slightly, also got the viewer engrossed in to what might happen next. The sightings of Morris were particularly scary and the choice of not showing him too much on the screen was a stroke of genius as it always left the viewer wondering what he actually looked like.

Scare Factor I was more intrigued about the whole film rather than having to watch it from behind the sofa but I did actually jump once when Sarah was dreaming about Courtney only to then be woken up by her shouting "BOO".....you can't get a more classic Horror film than a "BOO !!" appearing at some stage during the proceedings !! The Future I have already drawn comparisons to the Cult B-Horror movies of old and I don't know if this is an indictment on my part or not but I feel that if "Morris" is promoted as one of these types of films, or at least runs alongside one, then it could quite easily be enjoyed by the viewers of Amazon Prime or Netflix.

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.

This film did not disappoint! The story, acting and most importantly the detail in the film were top notch! There was a twist at the end that I really didn't expect.

It lived up to my expectations and delivered a jaw dropping film full of suspense - with a great addition of humour in the mix too.

The locations were fantastic with beautiful scenery. Visual effects were very impressive for a small indie film, almost like the film looked expensive for this in certain places. Actors were all great, Courtney was fantastic too the actress playing that role is very talented.

Definitely a 'must see'!

There were some scenes that weren't as coherent as I'd have liked, some that seemed to drag and felt irrelevant but also some that I feel would have benefited the film by being a little longer. More focus on character building and establishing certain relationships would have been ideal as well. However, this is from a more critical viewpoint and doesn't take away from the fact that it's a great story and very entertaining. The performers seemed to fit well in their roles and although there were a few awkward moments while they got into their groove they all did really well in telling the story.

I particularly enjoyed the end scene where the characters came together in their 'final showdown' with Morris and the surprise twist, however I also feel like this could have had more build up and hidden clues that hinted towards it as it felt a little forced once it was revealed.

Overall it's a great film that's an easy watch and I'm looking forward to more from Jason in the future.