BLACKOUT
(director/writer: Larry Fessenden; cinematographer: Collin Brazie; editor: Larry Fessenden; cast: Marshall Bell (Hammond), Michael Buscemi (Andy), Addison Timlin (Sharon), Barbara Crampton (Kate), Motell Gyn Foster (Earl), Joseph Castillo-Midyett (Luis), Alex Hurt (Charley Barrett), James Le Gros (Tom Granick), Joe Swanberg (Sharon’s new boyfriend), Gaby Leyner (Freida), Rigo Garay (Miguel); Runtime: 103; MPAA Rating: NR; producers: James Felix McKenney, J. Christian Ingvordsen, Larry Fessenden; Glass Eye Pix/Hunter Moon Pictures; 2023)
“A brazen classical werewolf horror pic.”
Reviewed by Dennis Schwartz
A brazen classical werewolf horror pic, written, directed, edited and produced by indie filmmaker and actor Larry Fessenden (“Isolation”/”Depraved”). It’s a follow-up to his Frankenstein take in Depraved, but this time exploring the Wolf Man myth in the bigoted fictional small town of Talbot Falls.
It features the tortured alcoholic local artist Charley Barrett (Alex Hurt), whose father was a corporate leader in town, who believes he has transformed under the full moon into a werewolf and is responsible for a number of recent grizzly killings in his community of Talbot Falls.
Before leaving town so he won’t kill again the locals, he settles his differences with his ex gf Sharon (Addison Timlin), brings to the attention of the authorities a corrupt land developer named Hammond (Marshall Bell), and goes to the police to clear the name of a Latino construction worker named Miguel (Rigo Garay) that Hammond and some of the town bigots have fecklessly blamed for the werewolf killings without having any proof.
Fessenden, in all seriousness, wants to know what is your moral responsibility to society if you recognize that you have turned into a monster.
The local bigot is ably played by James Le Gros, Joe Swanberg plays Sharon’s new boyfriend, and Barbara Crampton has a neat cameo as an attorney helping Charley get the developer indicted. Charley can’t help becoming a monster, but he knows he can do the right thing when human again.
The low budget intelligent horror film reminds me of the great Wolf Man film (1941).
It played at the Fantasia Film Festival.
REVIEWED ON 12/13/2023 GRADE: B+