Squeak and I'll Run to You

There aren't nearly enough British horror films, so I desperately wanted to like this, but it falls at the first hurdle.

It's a real vanity project - written by/directed by/produced by/featuring... you know the type.

While James Head's script has potential, the performances, direction, and special effects are atrocious. To call this "Inspired by the work of M R James" is insulting to James' memory.

An arrogant Oxford Professor descends on a Cornish village in search of ... well, something ... and uncovers more than he bargained for. It sounds like a decent James-eque story but Head's insistence on cramming really poor spook smoke effects into every scene is a real chill killer.

William Fitzgerald makes the Professor the kind of character you'd like to see gobbled up by the monsters in the first few minutes but, alas, no.

There's really no excuse for a film to be this bad.

If you claim to be a horror fan but don't know the source material for this you should be mildly shamed of yourself. I enjoyed this but I've got the feeling James may not appreciate this adaptation but I have another feeling he would be thankful like I was that this wasn't a parody.

I streamed this film for free on Amazon Prime and was surprised at how entertaining it was. I won't give away any "spoilers", but I will explain why I gave this movie an 8 out of 10.

First, it had a great Gothic Atmosphere, very much like CURSE OF THE DEMON and BURN, WITCH, BURN. It was shot in B&W and also included some CGI effects. All of the actors were great, and the locations in Cornwall, England added to the suspense. Story, sound, photography, and editing was all world class. Finally, something good and original is coming out of the U. K.

Second, I was never bored for a second. The film moved like a bullet and was over as quickly as it started. It had moments where I was laughing out loud, and then there were moments of true gothic suspense. Again, I don't want to give anything away.

Third, when I looked this film up on IMDb, I noticed that it had a budget of only $7,000 dollars. That took me by surprise. I've never written a review on IMDb, but this film was worth my time.

Finally, this movie was written, produced, directed, photographed, edited, and co-starred only one man, Mr. James Head. Mr. Head even composed the music score as well as the post-CGI effects. I'm in awe. One can only imagine what James Head could do with a budget of $100,000!! It boggles my mind.

SQUEAK AND I'LL RUN TO YOU is well worth checking out for Free on Amazon. You'll be entertained. Enough said.

8/10.