Angela (Ashley Gallo) is hospitalised after an unexplained accident. Comatose in reality but conscious within her head, Angela sets to exploring the vast realms of her mind, where dangerous creatures await.
A strange man (Arthur Collins) appears beside her, telling her she is in the so-called 'bimex', the 'unused portion' of her brain. In the distance, strange humanoid figures in straitjackets and gas masks are spotted. These are the supposed cleaners of the bimex, and are after Angela. Problem is, if they catch up to her, she'll be wiped from her own head, and likely die in real life.
Wandering alone through the wastelands and evading the pursuing creatures (I won't attempt spelling their names); Angela comes across two doors stood in the ground of a field, one labelled 'SAINT' and the other 'WHORE', At this point, Collins' character, her 'guide' as she puts it, returns and tells her to make the choice.
"What do you know about yourself, Angela?" he asks.
She chooses the 'saint' door.
The remainder of this film is the unravelling of Angela's past and some dark secrets, discovered via flashbacks to before her accident. To say much more would spoil what lies ahead!
William Victor Schotten's SILVER CELL was difficult to review. It took me a good while to decide for starters what I personally made of it, because it's such a strange film. It screams low budget, and many aspects make it not worth watching at all. At the same time, however, it interested me in a way I can't properly bring into words.
Uniformly terrible in the acting stakes, Schotten's film really needed something good to impress me with. The story, I think, is its saving grace. As distracting and laughable as the characters' deliveries may be, a plot exists in this film, and it doesn't make for an easily-led watch. Not a minute can be spent away from the screen during its 70 minute running time. The film's pace is frantic, revealing something new almost every single scene. The shoddy performances repel, but the ambitious storyline attracts.
With more money, I think Schotten could've produced something truly commendable. On the technical side of things, it's not good. CGI is of the lowest quality, the creatures in pursuit are more annoying than anything with their constant groans (which sound exactly the same each time), editing is poor, music is too loud etc.
Saying that, the score was actually nice. If I had listened to Jared Farrell's music without the film, I would've envisaged something a little more fantasy-like. Nevertheless, it fits well with the earlier scenes of Angela exploring the desolate areas within her mind. Locations are also well-chosen – the forested, industrial setting almost creates an eerie, nightmarish atmosphere... almost.
I enjoyed the final 5 minutes very much, but don't count on that as the only reason to endure the rest. Things came to a very implicitly dark finish, and I like a dark ending.
SILVER CELL comes to DVD region-free via Continuum Motion Pictures on September 12th. I was sent a copy for reviewing purposes.
The disc opens straight into a static main menu offering only a 'play' button for selection. There is no scene selection page, and the film itself has no chapter stops.
Only the main feature is present; no extras of any kind.
For many reasons, SILVER CELL is not a great film. The acting is awful, the plot messy, and sometimes it's just too weird to take completely seriously. However, there is definitely a story trying to be told. Maybe you can make better sense of it than I could?
A one-time watch.
Reviewed by Elliott Moran
| Released by Imdfilm Distribution |