Movie Review: Isolation

Now available on VOD (video on demand) is the horror/thriller, Isolation.

The film was produced by Nathan Crooker and was directed by several different directors:

• Dennie Gordon (Jack Ryan, Legion, Hunters, Waco)
• Larry Fessenden (“The Last Winter,” “Habit,” “Depraved”)
• Bobby Roe, (“The Houses October Built 1&2”)
• Andrew Kasch, (“Tales Of Halloween”)
• Zach Passero (“Wicked Lake”)
• Christian Pasquariello (“Alien Invasion: S.U.M. 1”)
• Alexandra Neary (“The Innocent”)
• Alix Austin & Keir Siewert (“Retch”)
• Kyle I. Kelley & Adam Brown (“The Music Lesson”)

As a narrative framework, Director and Producer, Nathan Crooker created a fictional world many months into the future that is based around the current global pandemic. All eleven filmmakers used the same unifying framework in creating their stories. The filmmakers were tasked with how to stay creative using only what was available to them at the time. They were not allowed to use Zoom or any other video conferencing services and were only allowed to use the equipment and resources they had with them when they entered into lockdown, including cast and crew, adhering to their respective COVID-19 protocols.

This film features several different stories, all about people dealing with a pandemic (not necessarily COVID). Each story is about being isolated and cut off from the rest of the world (in most cases), as well as being unable to be around others for fear of getting ill, or being harmed.

I will admit that the first few stories were a bit too “trippy” and weird, even for my taste. I was honestly going to stop watching the movie because I wasn’t too fond of it up until I saw the short film about a young brother and sister, all alone in their home with the corpse of their dead mother. Their father was away and trying to make his way home to them (we don’t know where he was or if he’ll ever make it home).

The siblings were probably around 5-8 years old. We can only assume their mother died from the virus (or a virus).

Just the idea of two young children living alone is crazy enough, but it gets even scarier when two masked me show up who are looking to do harm to the children. Seeing them trying to escape was definitely thrilling.

I would LOVE to see that mini-film made into a full length movie. I’d certainly go to the theater to see it.

After that point the stories got a bit more interesting.

There is a woman in London who is convinced that the virus was all made up, and that “big brother” is watching her every move and embedding things into people unbeknown to them.

There is another story about a woman who wakes up in a storage container, and people are doing tests on other people to see if they are negative or positive for the virus (again, not specifying what virus).

Yet another story features a photographer trying to get photos for a news reporter, only to regret he ever agreed to it.

Some of the stories in this film were boring (no offense to the filmmakers) or they were just too weird. Other stories were really good and had my attention from start to finish.

I didn’t think I was going to like this film. I’m glad I stuck with it because it got much better as time went on.

If you are interested in checking out Isolation for yourself, look for it on VOD platforms.

Below is the film’s trailer for your enjoyment.

 

Kimberly

*I received a free screener link in order to review this film. There was no compensation. The opinions expressed are my own and not influenced in any way.