Lock the door, grab the gun and prepare for ‘Phase 7’
Phase 7, the new Argentinian horror film from Bloody Disgusting Selects and AMC Independent, tells the story of a quarantined apartment building in Buenos Aires where the residents are starting to get restless over the looming crisis outside the windows. The virus that has spread throughout the world is never explained beyond soundbytes heard on the radio, and that’s mostly because writer-director Nicolás Goldbart is more concerned with the fates of his small cast of characters.
This is personal filmmaking at its finest; every bit of simple living is detailed precisely. From walking around in the grocery store to playing Battleship with a loved one, this “outbreak” drama stays focused on the people at its center.
Daniel Hendler plays Coco, a likable guy with a penchant for looking in the mirror and recreating iconic American film roles. He’s married to Pipi (Jazmín Stuart), a down-to-earth girl who is ready to bust from her pregnancy. The two live in an apartment and never give too much attention to the world health crisis that has changed everything in their lives. They are a married couple more interested in their future baby than anything else. When they go shopping and meet up with scared neighbors, Coco and Pipi have a calm serenity about them. They just have bigger fish to fry than worrying about the virus.
But life isn’t always that easy.
Although Coco and Pipi are content with wiling away the hours behind locked doors as government officials storm through the streets outside, their neighbors have other plans. When Zanutto (Federico Luppi), an elderly gentleman living in the apartment complex, seemingly contracts the virus, a meeting is called among the tenants and drastic measures are decided upon. But Zanutto decides to take measures into his own hands. He angrily brandishes his shotgun and proves to be a wild, uncorked threat to the entire apartment building.
Pipi is left to her swollen belly, while Coco braves the hallways with Horacio (Yayo Guridi), a mercenary who will stop at nothing until Zanutto is put down.
Phase 7 surprised me for all the right reasons. It starts out so somberly that it takes a while to even realize that there’s a worldwide contagion shaking up the populations of the world. Although it’s never explained, everyone seems to be comfortable with the new world order. It’s almost as if the crisis in Phase 7 is no longer global; it’s now strictly personal. Who cares about the sirens in the streets or the radio broadcasts from distant shores? The virus is lived in the house, down the hallway, with the people closest to you.
For some, Phase 7’s simplicity may be too basic. The plot doesn’t involve much progression and there are few scares in the movie. Plus, with no explanations of what exactly is happening, there is a feeling of incompleteness. There is a brief mention of what the actual Phase 7 means, but it’s so fleeting that it’s obvious the filmmaker is interested in other things.
But still, the movie resonates because Goldbart achieves a haunting atmosphere that instills a sense of paranoia. And his focus on just a few people is highly effective, reminding me of some of the best horror movies of all time, including the original Night of the Living Dead.
Many of the scenes are cleverly staged, adding to the sense of paranoia. There is one sequence taking place in complete darkness with only the shots of gunfire lighting the combatants.
The acting is all top-notch, especially from Hendler who is able to couple a funny nonchalance with a believable (and palpable) worry. His performance anchors the film, and the audience begins to watch the drama unfold through his eyes.
Phase 7 is far from perfect, but it earns a definite level of paranoiac excellence.
Beware the contagion!
By John Soltes / Publisher / John@HollywoodSoapbox.com
