I came across this in an issue of Fangoria, although after watching it I wouldn’t classify it as horror. I think it’s more of a very gory psychological thriller. I have to say it was pretty well done, given the subject matter. Alyce (Jade Dornfeld) is a meek woman who works a mind numbing job that barely pays the bills. She accepts an invitation from old friend Carroll (Tamara Feldman) for night out. After a lot of wine and Ecstasy, they end up on a roof, where Alyce accidently pushes Carroll off a ledge.
The thing is Alyce doesn’t call for help, and lies to police about any involvement. She continues with life, until she discovers Carroll actually survived. What follows is 90 minutes of an emotional and mental downward spiral. We’re lead to believe Alyce was never all that stable to begin with, especially after Carroll freaks out when she realizes Alyce has the same ringtone as her. She also calls her “Single White Female”, and constantly makes remarks about her lack of sanity.
It was interesting to how Alyce went from quiet and ignored to strung out, murderous femme fatale. What makes this so chilling is how calm she is while all of the madness is happening in her life. You’re watching it, but you’re not sure how much of it is reality, or one of her drugged delusions. I have to applaud Dornfeld for bringing Alyce to life. The things she says and does are unbelievable, but she owns the part.
The supporting cast deserves recognition, as well. What happens to Alyce is somewhat by her own hands, but the argument could be made that her acquaintances helped push her to the breaking point. While it’s a solid film, it lost its punch toward the end. It went from a real character study to gorefest. This is one time where implied gore would’ve worked better.
I still give it 3 out of 5. It’s a different story, the acting was believable, and it was just a fascinating take on someone going through a mental breakdown. It loses points when it suddenly turned into a bloody massacre. Given how things progressed, having such graphic violence takes away from it. I’m all for gore, but this is one of the few times it doesn’t work. It’s still worth owning. It’s only $10 at Wal-Mart, but it’s worth it.
The Lively Mind Reviews 