By Geno McGahee
“They’re dead. They’re all dead.” – Joe (Nick Mancuso)
Made for TV horror has many restrictions, but when shows are forced to depend on the writing, cinematography, acting and score rather than the blood and guts, we can get something special. When the vision of Ray Bradbury is included, we get a short tale like “THE CROWD.” This is a mixture of mystery and horror, with great acting, score and atmosphere.
Joe (Nick Mancuso) is driving home and is cruising through the city. He is groggy and when a dog runs out quickly in front of him, he flips the car. He is in bad shape and immediately this group of people are standing above him and trying to move him. The EMTs show up and escort him to the hospital where he asks the doctor how a group like that could get to the scene so quickly. This is when this tale gets very creepy.
At home, Joe gets together with his friend, a cameraman for the news, Morgan (R.H. Thomson), another accident happens right outside the window and in a matter of seconds, the same crowd is now gathered around that injured party. Joe runs down there to tell them not to move the body, but they do it anyway. The person dies and Joe begins to develop a theory.
Morgan retrieves all of his news footage regarding crashes and Joe analyzes them and forces his friend to sit down and hear him out. The same people are at every crash…the old guy…the kid…the man in the raincoat. (SPOILER) He then plops down photographs from the morgue. They’re all dead and he is going to find out what they are really doing by confronting them. Morgan has a great line, stating: “What do you think they’re going to do when they find out that you know what they are?”
Joe and Morgan begin roaming the streets and find the group and that’s when this gets even creepier. This ends rather well and really leaves you wanting more. A great deal of credit has to be given to Nick Mancuso for bringing such dramatic flair to the role. The setting was outstanding and the visuals were so impactful. There is something imposing about the city late at night and with the addition of the snow and the cold, this really set the tone for the tale. The aura of mystery keeps you hooked and the payoff is outstanding.
THE CROWD does everything right. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and my only complaint is that the tale wasn’t a feature film. I really wanted to see more of this and the actors involved. Across the board, this is what horror should be…a story-driven, atmospheric, mysterious creepy experience. I HIGHLY recommend this.
Rating: 10/10 – tremendous
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