Blackout (2023)

Director: Larry Fessenden

Cast: Alex Hurt, Addison Timlin, Motell Gyn Foster

Release Date: April 12, 2024 (Digital/VOD)

A Review By: Kevin Lovell

Film Rating: 7/10

Synopsis:

Painter Charley (Alex Hurt, Minyan, TV’s New Amsterdam) wakes up in an upstate motel where he appears to have been living for some time. After he packs and leaves he encounters various people in the small town where everybody knows your name. Charley is saying goodbye to the estranged love of his life, Sharon (Addison Timlin, Submission, TV’s American Horror Stories), and settling his affairs with a manic urgency that culminates with a call to a friend, Earl (Motell Gyn Foster, Marriage Story, A Dog’s Way Home), saying: “You better be ready, I’m coming.”

But Charley never makes it to his friend’s house: When the sun goes down he has convulsions while driving his car, goes off the road and ends up in a ditch. Charley, it seems, is a werewolf. He attacks his rescuers and moves through the outskirts of town at night wreaking havoc. But the next day he can’t remember the things he’s done. Now the tight-knit town must rally to find out what is tearing it apart: mistrust, fear, or a vicious monster.

‘Blackout’ tells the story of Charley, a painter who is trying to get away from his past as well as his present, planning to say his farewells to those who he cares for before heading to his friend’s house with a plan. But Charley is suffering from a weird chain of events that he can’t quite piece together as he repeatedly finds himself awaking in unfamiliar places after the full moon, with horrific murders following his path along the way. As the authorities try to piece together the chain of gruesome murders and the local town big shot tries to place the crimes on an innocent man, Charley will have to piece together the broken visions that plague him if he hopes to put an end to the carnage.

Written and directed by Larry Fessenden (Depraved, Wendigo) who does a nice job at the helm of ‘Blackout’ guiding along his own screenplay and delivering a surprisingly human and somewhat emotional werewolf film. The film’s cast includes Alex Hurt, Addison Timlin, Motell Gyn Foster, Joseph Castillo-Midyett, Ella Rae Peck, Rigo Garay, John Speredakos, Michael Buscemi, Jeremy Holm, Joe Swanberg, Kevin Corrigan, Barbara Crampton, James Le Gros and Marshall Bell, with the majority offering largely capable and fitting performances for the most in each of their respective roles.

‘Blackout’ is a different type of werewolf film than we’re typically accustomed to these days, focusing more on the struggle of our lead as he tries to piece together his broken visions and memories while trying to find a way to end the curse that he believes is plaguing him even if he’s unable to figure out what exactly caused it all to begin. The film utilizes some surprisingly solid effects and makeup work that contribute to the gore and more carnage-heavy moments throughout, while also providing a notable look for the wolf as he tears through the woods and attacks his unsuspecting victims, while never making the violence and gore the star of the show; more often than not leaving many of the more graphic moments to our imagination and therefore keeping us partially in the dark, right alongside Charley which helps us to better relate to his current mindset and uncertainty.

The film is more an exploration of one man’s struggle and difficulties than it is an all-out werewolf film, acting at times as somewhat of a fever dream that our lead seems unable to awake from and always focusing on his path and fight over the carnage and chaos of the rampaging werewolf. The appearance of the wolf pays homage to classic films such as The Wolf Man more than other werewolf films, down to the hairy arms, hands and face, while still remaining upright with clothes intact and it’s a refreshing throwback that separates ‘Blackout’ from many other werewolf tales from that element alone, in addition to the struggle our lead must tackle as things grow increasingly out of hand throughout the small town he calls (or at least called) home.

Overall, ‘Blackout’ is a largely entertaining, occasionally quite bloody and surprisingly human tale of one man’s struggle to uncover the reality of his situation and what caused it while simultaneously trying to do right by those falsely accused of the terrifying crimes he believes he committed, while at the same time trying to protect those he cares for. It may not land every intended mark but does a competent job altogether of crafting an engaging tale that’s notably boosted by a solid performance from Alex Hurt in the lead and the capable guidance of Larry Fessenden from his own script. ‘Blackout’ is recommended for any diehard fans of notable filmmaker Larry Fessenden as well as anyone that enjoys a werewolf film that tries to do something at least moderately different with the material and concept and manages to succeed at least the majority of the time.

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Film Rating: 7/10

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Larry Fessenden’s ‘Blackout’ Arrives on Digital – VOD April 12, 2024 From Glass Eye Pix & Dark Sky Films

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