Reviewed by Melissa Antoinette Garza
Some of the greatest horror films have spawned from the UK. Whether looking at older classics like Tales from the Crypt, The Comeback, and The Wicker Man or modern tales like Shaun of the Dead and The Lady in Black, it’s clear that a lot the best comes from the Mother country.
Young, High and Dead, a low-budget UK film, follows a group of five friends travelling to the woods for a good time (a.e. drugs and booze) celebrating the engagement of Katy (Hannah Tointon) and Dan (Matthew Stathers). As they are in their car having fun and playing practical jokes on one another, a small girl no older than 8 or 9 is being brutally tortured by a psychopath who buys tools of torment at a hardware store.
One of the best scenes is when the psycho is buying his items. Sinister music is played and he leads the female cashier into dark corners to obtain items. Surely, I thought an attack was imminent. Writer and director Luke Brady turns the tables and nothing occurs except the purchase. It’s the apprehension that is built into the viewer as we anticipate and ready ourselves for a death that doesn’t happen. This sets the tone for the film guaranteeing that the audience will all be at the edge of their seats unaware of what may come. Nothing is promised.
As the friends arrive to their destination, the owner of the vehicle Gary (Nigel Boyle) opens the trunk to reveal more than the usual pot and beer. Cocaine, Ketamine, and a box full of other powders and pills await the gang.
As they get coked up and go out for dinner, our resident psycho kidnaps another young child. The age of the children makes it all the harder to take yet all the more intriguing to watch. It’s sort of an unsaid rule that unless a child is possessed or otherwise evil, they don’t die in horror movies. Brady takes the chance and handles it brilliantly. He combines a certain level of delicateness with the unnerving plot point which makes it impossible to look away. By this time the outrage and hatred towards the killer is felt full force by the viewer.
He drags his second victim through the woods like a pile of garbage, as the oblivious friends hike looking for the perfect place to camp.
The group sets up a tent and starts a fire. They all get wasted throughout the night unaware that they are right near the grave of one of the dead children.
It isn’t long before the clothing of the child is found by Gary and friend John (Philip Barantini). Wasted, the duo begin joking around. Though, they don’t know it’s actually where the girl was killed they fantasize about their finding being that of a dead girl. Gary goes as far to say that they would be local celebrities. Despite their state of mind because of drugs, the boys definitely don’t endear themselves to the audience.
It seems that the two even see each other’s flaws as Gary criticizes John for the way he treats his girlfriend Jenny (Louissa Lyton). Gary turns it back on him pointing out he doesn’t even have a girlfriend. This turns into a big fight as the two storm away from one another.
During the night, Gary is severely attacked but alive and everyone is cuffed at their leg with a metal chain. Another great aspect to this film is that the men lose their heads and begin to turn against each other as the women stay clear-minded and tend to Gary. John is able to free Jen by pounding on the chain until it broke. He advises her to go to the car and bring back tools.
Next is another extremely cool scene. It mixes Tobe Hooper’s classic The Texas Chainsaw Massacre with Sam Raimi’s Evil Dead. Jenny runs through the woods to bring back the box. Some of the camera tricks Brady used, I’ve never seen before and were very creative. It wasn’t the normal shaky camera. It was as if the camera was running with her at an angle which made everything more intense. It added a certain assurance that the audience is rooting for her. To the credit of the actress, she played her part marvelously. While running she showed the necessary adrenaline and courage, like a mother lifting a car off their child, but also the fear was present at all times.
As for the controversial rape scene, I may be one of the few that believes it was completely appropriate. For those who don’t know. One of the females endures rape. Many came out against this for different reasons. I can say as a woman rape is one of the most horrifying experiences imaginable. As it happens so much more to women than to men, I understand why a man may believe it wasn’t intricate to the plot. As a woman, I disagree. It added not only to the hatred of the psychopath but the sympathy of the victim.
During initial press releases, it had been stated that this rape scene was an intricate part of the movie. I understand why. It’s the same reason rape revenge films like I Spit on Your Grave, Extremities, or Rape Squad publicizes the plot. Knowing that a rapist and killer is going to most likely get what’s coming to them is satisfying and therefore horror fans flock to them.
Not to mention, rape is such a horrific act it can break a character and change them. It can be used as a catalyst to so many things. It can strengthen the woman and anger her enough to do things she never imagined doing.
Brady took great measures to ensure that the women were not just portrayed as victims. There are no Lynda van der Klok (PJ Soles) characters to get angry at. The women in this film are strong, smart, and determined however they are not made into the typical sexist Super Hero trend found in films like The Texas Chainsaw Massacre remake.
There are times where the men console the women, but if there is a hero to be found in this movie it’s Katy and for one to doubt that the sexual attack she endured had nothing to do with her change, they’re insane.
Katy is such an amazing character. She reacts the way anyone in her position would react. She’s afraid but fierce when she goes into survival mode. It isn’t about anything but getting out and she will do it at any cost even if it means being forced to kill.
I seriously wasn’t expecting this. When I first contacted Mr. Brady to review his film, I advised that I was extremely honest and that if I didn’t like it I’d say so. I assumed by the title it was going to be part comedy, but it isn’t. It’s full on horror from start to finish and it’s fantastic.
It’s a breath of fresh air to see a slasher with the heart to be creative rather than the torture porn we so often get stuck with (a.e. The Saw series)
In all truth this is one of the best low budget films I’ve seen. It is right up there with 28th Day: The Wrath of Steph for excellent filmography, direction, acting and plot.
I can’t recommend this one enough! Of course, it may offend some but in my opinion everything including the controversial scene was done with so much taste, Brady deserves credit for it as does co-directors Jonathan Brady, Daniel Fenton and Thabo Mhlatshwa. It is clearly evident that they put 100% into this project and it shows.
This can currently be rented or purchased at http://vimeo.com/ondemand/yhad
Scared Stiff Rating: 8/10
This is absolute sexist crap. All the males (and then some) are killed and all the females survive? If anything, the females are doing some of the killing.
Hi – thanks for responding. I’m not sure if you’re being facetious or serious, so I’ll answer under the notion that you believe the film is sexist towards men. I disagree. (A) One of the male characters is actually the catalyst of the females surviving as He frees Her by using his upper body strength to unchain her. (B) Under distress, it is a male character that eases the emotions of the female character. (C) Without giving anything away, there is at least one female character that dies. In fact, the first victim is female. (D) The females that do survive do so with perseverance and not without battle scars including a sexual attack.
Those are my thoughts.
All the best,
Melissa Antoinette Garza