Okay, in order to put my rating as well as my predominantly positive comments into perspective, I should probably state first that when I watched "Suspension" – at the Brussels' International Festival of Fantastic Films – I had just finished watching another wannabe intelligent and innovative but incredibly dull and pretentious horror movie, so I was in desperate need for some straightforward and unhinged splatter entertainment. I was in the mood for mindless slasher fun and that's exactly what "Suspension" delivered, nothing more or nothing less, but that's also why I honestly can't bring myself to be too harsh about this modest little flick even though I damn well realize it's a totally unmemorable and by-the-number genre outing. In case you also manage to set your expectations low and turn your brain functions to a much lower modus, you will enjoy a nice '80s slasher throwback complete with a high body count, nasty massacres (knives, axes and pitchforks!), delightful horror stereotypes and a traditionally indestructible and masked psycho killer! The introvert and timid Emily is bullied and treated as a freak by her classmates because her father was a deranged serial killer who slaughtered 8 people. Emily processes her traumas by drawing graphically violent comic book adventures of her father, which naturally makes her look even more freakish, especially when her drawings are openly confiscated by the über-religious teacher in the middle of class. Later that evening, when the entire school is at a house party and Emily is at home narrating bloody comics to her mute little brother Jeremy, the school's most popular jock Jason suddenly decides that he fancies Emily and drives up to her house. Unfortunately, however, Emily's escaped dad simultaneously also decides to return home and continue his murderous hobbies
You clearly don't need to be an experienced horror fanatic to predict where this is going. In fact, "Suspension" has the kind of end-twist that you can predict straight from the beginning, but throughout the movie you're beginning to doubt if the twist will actually happen because it's almost too obvious. And then, in the end, the all-too- obvious twist really does get shoved down your throat and you'll be like: "Ha! Figures
" Again though, I'm not complaining because "Suspension" is a cool genre homage with plenty of gooey make-up effects and old-fashioned axe-in-the-forehead bloodshed! The film could have used a little bit of sleaze and nudity, though, especially coming from the luscious Courtney Paige Theroux. Her supportive character Theresa behaves like a textbook '80s school bimbo so badly that she also should have taken her top off, to say the least! "Suspension" is primarily a love letter to old school horror, and thus I'm fairly surprised to find out that director Jeffery Scott Lando only has straight-to-video CGI garbage on his resume so far.
