I like being surprised. Too many movies these days give up the entire entire plot within the two minute trailer. This isn’t hyperbole, this is a fact. A horror movie cannot surprise you when you pretty much know how it’s all going to go down. I have avoided movies altogether thanks to this trend. Pod managed to avoid this problem and actually showed a bit if suspense and promise. It did look very “reminiscent of the best of the X-Files.”
DId the movie live up to it’s trailer? No.
Was the movie terrible? No.
I’m going to try and break it down into positives and negatives without giving away too much of the movie, which is tough.
There was obviously a pretty small budget, with whole movie filmed in two locations. This is not really a huge issue as there are some phenomenal movies that take place in a single room and still manage to grab your attention for their entirety. Pod did manage this just fine.
The budget was also reflected in the casting. There are six actors that appear in the film from start to finish, with three having over ninety percent of the screen time. Again though, not an issue if done right. I have to say again, Pod managed this just fine.
Lauren Ashley Carter plays Lyla, who was both my favorite and least favorite character. For the first few scenes, she plays the alcoholic, drug using, foul mouthed, unhinged and unbuttoned sister. This was the likable side. She degenerates throughout the course of the film into a shrieking, incoherent mess that was honestly a little demeaning to her original character. I found myself wanting to push her down a flight of stairs. I’m gonna chalk this one down to good acting though.
Dean Cates and Brian Morvant play the brothers Ed and Martin. Ed comes across as the holier-than-though, know it all brother that, despite his best intention, keeps falling out with his siblings. Martin is the paranoid, ex-military headcase that started all the drama. Again, both characters annoyed me but I feel that both actors played their roles well. Morvant was exceptionally believable and overall the acting was far above par in comparison to what constitutes a horror flick these days.
The movie actually keeps pace pretty well and is not drawn out. Most of the movie takes place in dad’s old cabin where Morvant’s character is apparently losing his mind. The feel for the first half is a little reminiscent of Bug, with the viewer trying to figure out if there really is a monster or if it’s all in the twisted minds of the protagonists.
The movie shifts gears heavily around half way and has a few obscure twists and turns that don’t do much to make it better. My biggest complaint (surprisingly) was waiting for this bloody pod to appear. The second half is painfully predictable and turns into somewhat of a screech-fest, but thankfully it’s over rather quickly.
In closing, this is very much a bread and butter horror film that is easily watchable if you, like me, have nothing else to watch. I’d give it a 6/10.
