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No Reasons (2016)
The darkness in everyday life
This is the second film by director Spencer Hawken, and if you are familiar with his debut film Death Walks, you'll find that No Reasons is a completely different animal.
Death Walks is a relatively light comedy horror - a popcorn movie, if you like. With No Reasons Hawken has taken another path, and this path leads you to places that you really don't want to think about, let alone go.
Make no mistake - this is a dark movie.
I'm not just saying that for effect. No Reasons is not for the faint-hearted or sensitive viewer, as it deals with subjects that will make most people very uncomfortable.
The film begins with Paul (Marc Bannerman) and Sally (Lucinda Rhodes Thakrar), who are approaching the first anniversary of their 15-year-old daughter Jodie (Elisha Applebaum) going missing.
The story expands as we are gradually introduced to a bunch of mostly unsavoury characters including villain Julian (Roland Manookian), local journalist Kevin (an admirably creepy performance by Daniel Smales), down-on-his-luck private investigator Maurice (the wonderful Daniel Peacock), therapist Dr Spencer ('Allo 'Allo's Vicki Michelle), school teacher Mr Taylor (Jon Guerriero), pushy Simone (Lorraine Stanley) and assorted police officers (Louise Michelle, Scott Mullins, Alan Hitching, Peter James Hole).
I won't go into further details regarding the plot as you should discover it for yourself, but it won't surprise you to know that things are not as simple as they appear, and there's at least one horrible secret to be uncovered.
Following swiftly on the heels of the no-budget and mostly amateur-made Death Walks, No Reasons is a step up in quality in many regards. Hawken and his core crew appear to have learned a lot in a very short time.
Working with a budget meant that Hawken could hire some professional "name" actors (Peacock, Bannerman, Michelle, Manookian, Stanley) to work alongside Death Walks stalwarts Mullins, Guerriero, Smales and Holly Boeva, who all seem to have been inspired to new levels of performance by working alongside more experienced colleagues.
The film also looks more professional visually compared to the raw style of Death Walks, with impressive cinematography and some excellent location work. Tom Wolfe supplies an atmospheric score which adds so much to the downbeat mood of the film.
The opening scenes are incredibly well acted and directed, and brilliantly portray the utterly devastating effect a missing child can have on the lives of the parents. This is proper drama.
Of course this is a Spencer Hawken film, so there are twists and shocks in store as the story unfolds towards the ending, which will leave you open-mouthed and lost for words. When the final scene played out and the credits rolled, there was complete silence in the cinema. One viewer eventually broke the silence with a simple "F***ing hell."
There is a lot to the story, which unfolds gradually - tortuously even. That is probably my only issue with the film - I think it could perhaps have been tightened up a bit so that it moved along at a slightly quicker pace. I don't mind a slow burning film but a few times I found myself wanting to know more, right now! Although perhaps this could actually be a positive, that the viewer starts to feel as tortured as some of the characters!
No Reasons is almost certainly going to create some controversy. It is a bold, grim and unflinching exploration of the darker side of life that rarely shows its face to the world.
Spencer Hawken was reportedly influenced to write No Reasons by reading about two horrible real-life stories in a newspaper. He is of the opinion that tales based in the reality of everyday life are far more terrifying than those featuring fantastical and fictional creatures.
Based on No Reasons, I think he's probably right.
Death Walks (2016)
Has "cult classic" written all over it
I'll put my cards on the table from the start and say that this review can't be completely unbiased, as I was fortunate enough to have a bit part in the film.
Like a previous reviewer, I feel that one of the best things I can say about Death Walks is that you would never guess that it did not cost a penny to make - it looks fantastic. Nor would you ever guess that the cast and crew were almost all first timers and amateurs.
Death Walks is a labour of love for director Spencer Hawken. It was three years in the making, and he has created a very professional film with great determination and a lot of very hard work. It's an incredible achievement.
There are some excellent performances here, from Dumping Ground star Jessie Williams in her first adult role, Martin Holland in his first ever acting role, Karis Pentecost, Daniel Smales and Scott Mullins, among many others. Special mention should go to Jon Guerriero, who plays John the security guard. Jon's performance is particularly impressive when you discover that he is not actually an actor - he is in fact a real-life security guard at the Mercury Mall, where the film was shot.
The film also has a casting coup - Italian horror legend Francesca Ciardi appears as the mysterious Lucrezia. Ciardi starred in possibly the most notorious horror movie of all time - Cannibal Holocaust. She had not made a film for about 25 years, but was persuaded out of retirement by the quality of Hawken's script and also because she was impressed by the fact that Death Walks was a real community project.
I love the opening minutes of the film. We see the mall emptying out as time ticks towards closing time. Things get quieter and more sedate until the mall is closed and the security guards settle in for another night of boredom - or so they think. It's a slow-moving but strangely engrossing sequence, and seems to be very well-observed. Not surprising, as Hawken's day job is deputy manager of Mercury Mall.
We are gradually introduced to a fairly large cast of characters who are still in the mall - mostly staff closing up and getting ready to leave. Then things take a curious turn when someone turns up at the door and is let in by a concerned John.
I won't give away any more of the story than that, but obviously things get nasty. This is a zombie movie after all. Although this is unlike any other zombie movie you have ever seen.
As a previous reviewer has commented, the film isn't massively scary, but this is not a problem. It is a fun ride - rather tense and very funny. There are several genuine laugh out loud moments as we see the night's events through the experiences of the various characters who are trapped in the mall.
The script (by Hawken) is littered with the profane, sarcastic dialogue that is typical of the local area. This is most definitely a Romford movie.
I must give a special mention to Tom Wolfe, who is responsible for the incredibly good soundtrack. It sets a great atmosphere and is reminiscent of the music of The Thing, Escape From New York and The Fog - not surprising, since John Carpenter is one of Hawken's major influences.
On a personal level, I had an absolute blast being involved in the making of Death Walks. I know that goes for the rest of the cast and crew too, and I think it shows in the film. It's a very entertaining 85 minutes - wild and wickedly funny with a couple of shocking twists that I guarantee will leave you open-mouthed and shaking your head. I believe Death Walks has the ability to become a cult classic.
If you get the chance to see it, I thoroughly recommend it!