"The Shrine" (2010)

For every self professed horror fan who rants on & on about how there are no more original horror films being made today, that everything is just remakes & sequels, I have to roll my eyes.  Just last year, I could name about a dozen or so truly great original horror films…but sadly none of them ever hit theaters here in North America (or at least not a wide release anyway).  If your only diet of horror films is what is playing at your local Cineplex, then you are seriously missing out on a whole world of fantastic original horror films made by independent filmmakers.

One such original film that has seemingly slipped through the cracks is the Canadian horror film, “The Shrine” (2010), directed by Jon Knautz.  Now, one could argue the film borrows liberally from other such horror classics, such as “Black Sunday” (the Mario Bava version with Barbara Steele, not the “Goodyear blimp out of control” 1977 film with Robert Shaw), “The Fog” and…well, I don’t want to mention the third film it reminded me of for fear of spoiling any surprises. I would counter that by pointing out that ALL horror is derived from previous sources in some way, shape or form, and “The Shrine” is no different.  At the same time it’s certainly better than 90% of the bland offerings seen in theaters these days, with it’s unique take on the whole Satanic Cult sub-genre that really turns it all on its head in a way I didn’t see coming.

“The Shrine” follows a female reporter named Carmen (played by Cindy Sampson) who goes behind her editor’s back to chase a story about an American hiker who has disappeared without a trace somewhere within Poland.  Using the hiker’s journal, Carmen recruits her meek intern assistant, Sara (Meghan Heffern) and her reluctant photographer boyfriend, Marcus (Aaron Ashmore) to accompany her to a remote village in Poland where the hiker was last seen.  Upon arriving, the trio is confronted by a group of angry Polish villagers, who clearly do not want any outsiders snooping around, that threaten them with violence if they don’t leave immediately.  Thinking she’s on to a truly big story and ignoring the advice of Aaron who is insistent they pack up & go, Carmen sneaks back to the outskirts of the village, where she enters a mysterious mist.

Truthfully, that’s as far as I want to go, as I certainly don’t want to spoil anything for anyone who has not yet seen this.  Let’s just say that at the point where I felt I had figured it all out, the rug got yanked out from under me.  Usually I can smell a plot twist in a horror film coming a mile away, but this one took me aback and in turn sent the film into a whole other direction that I truly enjoyed.  The climax builds into an insane bloodbath and I found myself second guessing the character’s motivations throughout, as all allegiances are put to the test in a very fluid way. 

Overall, the film possesses a very clever screenplay that wants to toy with popular horror conventions and in turn, gave me a memorable horror experience that I’ll no doubt be returning to in the future on multiple occasions.  If there are any drawbacks I suppose it would be that the film’s performances didn’t come off as anything more than adequate.  That’s not to say they were in any way subpar, as the actors aren’t given much to do other than react once the shit hits the fan.  By that point, the film doesn’t stop to slow down for any character moments, which I totally get why, but at the same time I would’ve liked to have had maybe a little more time with these characters (in the first act perhaps) to make me care all the more.  That aside though, “The Shrine” is a certainly one original horror film that is worth paying your respects to!

8 out of 10 for me.