DVD Review: Low Budget Horror RESOLUTION Rises To The Challenge

Reviewing films can be a chore. There, I said it. It becomes difficult when you see a lot of films that are (to be polite about it) substandard. Productions big and small have many problems and it gets frustrating when you see so many wasted opportunities. Movies In Focus has always been a champion of low budget filmmakers, shedding light on smaller films that overcome their minute budgets to rise up and fight the good fight against the big guns. Having said that, there are so many bad low-budget efforts that you go into viewing every new release with some trepidation. This, in a round-about way brings me to Resolution.

Resolution rises to the challenge. It hits the right notes and brings originality to the horror genre – even though it’s not really a horror film. It’s a suspense film written and directed with the zest of a young Kevin Smith. Directors Justin Benson and Aaron Moorhead take the ‘cabin in the woods’ concept and spins it on its head, delivering a genre-bending movie. The film sees Michael (Peter Cilella), handcuff his best friend Vinny (Chris Daniels) to a wall in a disused cabin in an attempt to get him off drugs. However, unseen forces start sending the pair a variety of messages, which implies they may not be alone.

Resolution is pretty much a two hander, and Peter Ciella and Chris Daniels have good chemistry. Justin Benson’s script gives them a lot to work with and they nail it 99% of the time. The actors make the film work, giving it believability and a sense of humour that keeps the tone in check. It’s enjoyable stuff and it should be a warning shot for every low budget filmmaker – good performances and decent script are the key to a solid film.

I’d put Resolution in the horror genre bracket, but it’s not really fright-filled. It’s more of a black comedy with elements of horror and sci-fi. It doesn’t really matter, because Benson and Moorhead have a firm grip on the type of film they want to make.