Fang

I saw Fang at a festival in Madison and was blown away by this dark, twisted, but very entertaining movie which blends surreal body horror and domestic psychological dread, with a mother/son dynamic so dysfunctional, it rivals Norman Bates' maternal bond in Psycho. It helps that both performances by mother and son are electric and delightfully unpredictable, each tick and quirk feels earned. They are compulsively watchable and so is the film. I really felt transported into a subjective dreamscape that unravels into a nightmare. But despite some really immersive visuals and sound design, Fang never loses focus on its characters, keeping it grounded despite the fantastical premise. It's hard to believe this is a debut low-budget feature because it's already got such a distinct authorial voice and is so well put together in all aspects. It looks and sounds incredible and really sucks you in!

Fang first came on my radar when I was fortunate enough to interview writer/director Richard Burgin for a podcast. Based on the promo images I saw and Burgin's description of the film, I was expecting a grindhouse creature romp.

What I got instead was a highly intelligent shocker about what it's like living with and dealing with a loved one's mental health decline. As someone who recently lost his mother and dealt with her mental decline at the end, this film hit very close to home for me.

Billy Cochran (Dylan LaRay) is a 23 year old working at a warehouse to support himself and his mother (the always lovely Lynn Lowry) who is suffering from stage 5 Parkinson's and mentally declining sharply.

After being bitten by a rat, Billy starts to itch. Then the tufts of hair start to appear. The problem is, they also disappear. Is this real? Is Billy really turning into a rat? Or is it all in his head? His mental decline seems to mirror his mother's as his mother's new caregiver, Myra (Jess Paul) tries her best to take care of them both.

This is absolutely a cut above your average indie horror flick. This isn't a horror flick. This is a horror film. Mark my words....keep your eye on Richard Burgin, because he's going places and he's going to take us along for some wild rides.

If you watch other independent films before you watch this one, you'll understand why I gave it a 7 (granted I wanted to do like a 6.5 so I rounded up).

As someone who has watched a LOT of indie films and gets distracted easily, I can tell you I actually watched this whole film--YAY. Most indie films, especially if they're over 30 minutes long, they don't stand a chance at holding my attention normally.

Now, this film is far from perfect. A lot of things don't make sense and there are a lot of filler walking scenes that were unnecessary (also can we get Billy a better broom for that warehouse??). However, the lead actors as well as the lighting and cinematography of this film really carry it though. The colorization is absolutely gorgeous and the camerawork gives this film a boost beyond independent films. Dylan LaRay and Lynn Lowry absolutely capture your attention when they're in scenes together, and, again, it's better than a lot of independent films that are out there.

I was impressed by the cinematography of the film. The colors and camera angles really added a lot to the story. The writing was so thought-out and impressive. The son's telling of the characters he created was so in depth and creative...I'd love to see a movie about that, as well! The scene where the mother (Lynn Lowry) was watching her favorite tv show and "laughing" was one of the best. I immediately was impressed by it and replayed the scene a few times to REPEATEDLY feel creeped out by her laugh! One of my favorites! The relationship between the mother and son is both caring and creepy. Love that! Can't wait to see more.

Richard Burgin delivers with Fang on all levels. Engaging story, great cinematography, killer sets and phenomenal acting by all especially the lead and Lynn Lowry. The chemistry between these two was excellent and kept you on edge. The rest of the cast was great. Very impressive score and sound design helped to get the frantic and nerve wracking scenes across. The use of the lighting and colors helped tell the story especially in the bar scenes. I can't forget the gory and realistic practical Fx that was in the movie. I'm a big fan of practical Fx and glad to see this in this film. Check this out and share the love!!