What seems to be just another day in the studio for a radio broadcaster and his team turns into a living nightmare when disturbing information comes in of brutal killings around town.
Claustrophobic and satirical, with poignant messages hidden under the surface. I love that film! It is the simplicity, the mystery, the restricted narrative, and definitely Stephen McHattie! The lady banging on the window in the first act is the harbinger of doom, and the twenty-minute gap between that and the first information coming in from Ken about “the riot” serves as the doom’s delay. The moment the suspicions become confirmed, the audience’s imagination starts riding into the unknown, filling it with grotesque images of horrible deaths not seen at all. What is that crowd? Why do they do atrocious things to other people? What do these specific words trigger? Why do these specific words trigger it?
In the end, it feels like a satire of certain known horror films, such as Night of the Living Dead (1968) and Invasion of the Body Snatchers (1978), but it carries a couple of messages open for debate. Without spoiling it, the mention of the “separatists” and the use of the English language plays a significant role in interpreting those subliminal messages.
Based on Tony Burgess’s novel “Pontypool Changes Everything”, who also penned the script, director Bruce McDonald brings to life a humorous horror meant to scare, entertain, and make you think simultaneously. Lisa Houle and Georgina Reilly amazingly accompany McHattie. It is a must-watch regardless of how you look at it. I hope you enjoy it!
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Solidarity for all the innocent lives who suffer the atrocities of war!
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