By Melissa Antoinette Garza
Despite being released four years ago, I had never heard of the straight-to-DVD horror film, THE BEACON (aka Haunting at the Beacon). My brother Geno had found it in a bargain bin and decided to give it a try. This was a rare occasion when I went into the film completely blind. I didn’t know what the premise was or what to anticipate so therefore I like both Geno and my husband Steve had zero expectations.
The film opens with grieving parents, Bryn (Teri Polo) and her husband Paul (David Rees Snell) moving into a new apartment within a complex called The Beacon. Their intent is to start their life anew after the tragic loss of their young son Danny (Ben Lux).
It is believed that Danny drowned while at a Halloween carnival three years prior. After his untimely death, Bryn blamed herself for not paying close enough attention. She slit her wrists, and though her failed attempt was a long time ago, Paul remains concerned about her mental health. It is evident she hasn’t moved on as she still keeps Danny’s toys packed away.
As Paul is throwing himself into his job as an astronomer, Bryn does the same with her passion which is photography. To encourage and support her, Paul surprises her with a new expensive camera.
Bryn takes pictures of her apartment, the outside and around town. It soon becomes apparent that the building is haunted with the spirit of a young child who died while jumping on an elevator. Stranger still are the deformed mummy-zombies that seem to follow her and eventually Paul.
These creatures aren’t the only ones who are following Paul. Fellow tenant and former late-night soap opera actress Vanessa Carver (Elaine Hendrix) begins keeping a watchful eye out. The over-the-top diva takes an instant liking to Paul and doesn’t mind that he’s married. He is attracted to her damsel-in-distress routine, and despite his efforts to fight the sexual tension, he ends up sleeping with her.
Meanwhile, the unbalanced side of Bryn takes over and she decides that she will befriend the dead child and ask him to carry a message to Danny. Paul thinks that his wife is losing his mind, until he finds out that a man he had seen the night before has long been dead. His coworker clarifies that the child Bryn has been speaking with could be a deceptive and evil entity. Afraid for the safety of his wife, he races to the Beacon.
As the film progresses it becomes clear that there is something within the apartment below the surface that is very dark and disturbing. That said, the conclusion was quite surprising and extremely satisfying. All the loose ends are tied nicely and the explanations are given in a natural and believable manner.
One of the many factors that make this movie so great and underappreciated is that the ending was not necessary to make the film interesting. Even without the “twist” THE BEACON offers the best of both worlds by being original yet having nostalgic tone. There are certainly elements of THE SENTINEL (1977) and DON’T BE AFRAID OF THE DARK (1973) within the production but rather than being a ripoff or an empty attempt at a remake, THE BEACON used the best elements of these classics while remaining unique and an entity all its own.
The acting was fantastic. As always it was great to see Michael Ironside. I would watch him in anything. The rest of the cast was fantastic as well.
I can’t suggest this one enough. Seek it out and enjoy!
Scared Stiff Rating: 7.5/10
