Synopsis:
Henry Dawles is at a cross roads in life. A diminished bank account and baby on the way with his estranged wife has his personal life in shambles. When Mr. Remiel, an elderly shut in, offers Henry a lucrative sum to appraise his rural estate, he accepts without hesitation. What follows is a harrowing exploration of mind and madness. A journey through an estate as vast and beautiful as it is secretive and horrific. When Henry closes in on the lands’ dark truth, Remiel’s eccentric behavior takes a menacing and unforgettable turn. In this twisted tale of morality and redemption, Henry must confront the terrors of his present while coming to terms with the horrors of his past.
What We Thought:
The Suffering is a taut little thriller. It has a strong performance from its lead and it never fully unravels its secrets until the end.
Nick Apostolides plays Henry, a former photographer turned estate appraiser who takes a job appraising a rural household. He’s having issues with his pregnant wife and needs the money from this job. His stay at the house turns odd when he starts to hear noises and sees shadows and people. Henry isn’t sure what he’s witnessing and tries to figure out what’s happening around him. The old man of the house tells him it’s nothing, but as Henry stays longer, the secrets of the house show there’s more to the story than he thinks.
What keeps the film from being just another standard horror/thriller is Apostolides. He holds your attention throughout the film and you never quite know if what he’s seeing is real or if he’s imagining it. He handles the turmoil and struggle well and never overacts or tries to sell a scene more than necessary. Phil Amico is also quite good as Mr. Remiel. Seeing quality acting in an indie horror/thriller is rare nowadays.
For a smaller, low-budget film, it has really good production value and set design too. The house and surrounding buildings have a great old feel to them. Parts are creepy and dusty and other areas have paintings and other old items you expect to be there. Whoever found this location deserves a medal because it really sets the tone of the film.
It doesn’t skimp on effects either. There’s not a lot of gore because it’s more of a thriller, but the effects it has look good. Bodies look distorted and there’s good make up effects. Eyes are missing, blood looks rich and deep. It doesn’t go for the typical jump-scare which has become the standard trick for today’s “horror” film. It uses tone and visuals to creep you out.
It reminded me of another small budget film I watched recently called Blessid. Both wait till the last-minute to really explain what’s happening and why it’s happening so you sit there with anticipation trying to figure it out. Both have really good visuals and camera movement as well. Both have good lead performances too.
The Suffering is a solid indie thriller with a strong lead. I watch a lot of indie horror/thrillers and most are forgettable. This doesn’t try to rewrite the book or go off genre and I think it works because of that. It doesn’t try to be anything it isn’t. Quality acting, good production value and a story that actually works makes the film…
RECOMMENDED!
CAST & CREW:
- Nick Apostolides
- Lee Hamilton
- Elizabeth Deo
- Phil Amico
- Chad Eric Smith
Recommended If You Like
- Blessid
- Where The Devil Dwells
- House of Afflictions
The Nerds Templar 