Search - Containment on DVD

You'll have to see it to believe it....

HorrorFilms101 | Hollywood, CA | 10/24/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"Every once in a while, I'll come across a film that completely blows my mind. This just happens to be one of those films. I caught a screening of this film a few months before I found it on here and needless to say, it's heading straight into my favorite Top 10 list of independent horror films of all time.

But instead of persistently blabbering about how great it is, let me explain what exactly makes this film such a shining light in a market so widely saturated with less-than-average independent films.

What completely blew my mind was not only the intelligently twisted plot, deep dialog, and rich locale, but it was the incredible mastering of these elements in a coherent way that made perfect sense and shocked you with one twist after another. Honestly, it is unlike any film that I've EVER seen before. With Hollywood constantly pitching out remake after remake, and the independent world visiting the same haunted house sets, and mundane stories of revenge, serial killers, aliens, and ghosts, you'd think that ever avenue of the horror/sci-fi genre had been traveled....that is, until you enter into the world of Containment. I've always been a huge fan of psychological thrillers, and this is definitely a classic example, if not the epitome of a psychological thriller wrapped up in a sci-fi/horror plot. So how exactly do these elements combine so well into a film that screams creative genius?

Plot- On the very top tier, you have this film with a very simple and common sci-fi plot. A crazy scientist unleashes some genetically altered humans, and then kills himself, leaving a lone and half-crazed security guard to clean up the mess. So what's so amazing about that? Nothing, but that's what the creators wanted you to think. After watching the first 10 minutes, I figured that this was going to be another senseless gore-fest, but this assumption was quickly destroyed. Soon after the initial plot is established, we realize that there's a bigger picture to all of these events. Something just doesn't seem right, and the security guard is forced into a deeper and darker tunnel to see just how far the rabbit hole goes. The plot piles on tier after tier, and is so complex, you'll have to see it to believe it. The bottom line here, most of Hollywood's horror films have become completely predictable in the past years, yet with Containment you will NEVER guess what's going to happen next. Guaranteed! In fact, I challenge you to figure out what's going to happen next. I did catch a few plot holes, however, but they didn't follow along with the film's plotline, I just didn't figure out how these parts of the story fit in place. I guess I'll have to watch it again to see if I can make the connection. There's a huge puzzle in here, and you'll probably have to watch it more than once to figure everything out.

Characters and dialog- The main character here is truly multi-dimensional. The film focuses on one character, which performs a complete character arch before the final act of the film. What's so unique about this is that the supporting characters lend little more than a few clues to the larger picture, which can only be discovered by the main character. He's a security guard, alone in a large building night after night. He's slowly going crazy while we follow him around, going through one terrifying puzzle. He's also not your typical horror-movie star. The film strayed completely from the Hollywood clichéd scares and events such as "going to investigate the dead body rather than calling for help." The creators found different, realistic alternatives to prevent these types of actions. Then, the creator spun in some really creative, entirely realistic dialog. It's not like your normal; "Why are you here?.....Because I am" type stuff. It's incredibly intelligent, highly qualified as classic Hollywood style. Some statements rival the style of Saw, or The Matrix in depth.

Atmosphere- These guys really set themselves apart from other films by creating a believable atmosphere and not stooping down to the cheap independent film level of just filming wherever it was convenient. I can tell that they suffered greatly from this, as some continuity errors surfaced in a few placed, but if you were paying attention to the film and not how it was made you'd never notice. In any case, the atmosphere was totally credible. The film takes on an almost "film noir" styling with the harsh contrast and indulgently dark corners. It makes me think that this style was better suited for horror movies, than the famed detective stories of the mid 1900's.

Special Effects- What I commonly find in most independent films are great artists, with no talent...or IQ...I've seen some incredible displays of graphic deaths, that just make you laugh and want to cry, because their either so unrealistic, or just too gory. The special effects team on Containment...not so. These guys worked it like the pros. The blood is tasteful and not over-the-top, yet it's definitely present. It's hard to believe that this was an independent film at all, because of the attention to detail in some of the more prevalent special effects...one word; headshots (one complicated effect, even by Hollywood's standards). And although the film contains enough gore to make any common gorehound happy, it's not the focus of the film....Not only this, but other special effects, such as CGI morphing, 3D graphics, and the other big-budgeted features somehow made their way onto this film, proving that this crew has what it takes to meet a high demand vision.

Camera and Direction- All right, after all the praise, this film does deserve some kind of criticism. Apparently, they were working with very outdated equipment, as far as camera work is considered. It looks as if it was filmed with entry-level optics. Some of the scenes were a little rudimentary. I'm not sure if this was on purpose, or accident, but it did become apparent at times. Even though it adds an excellent element of mystique to the film, it's viewed as amateurish, by today's standards. Yet, it brought me back to the times of the Exorcist, and The Thing, so maybe all-in-all it was just a rather understated attempt to retain the classical horror-appeal. The direction of the film was well based. It lacks the million-dollar sparkle of a Hollywood production, but this barely shows unless you're looking for it like I do after being on set of so many films.

Music and Lighting- I can briefly run over this, since there's nothing above average about it. The music fits well with the movie, and carries along as well as amplifies the mood of the scene. I got some vibes from the placement, and they tricked me into believing that something was going to happen a few times. Which just led me to realize that you can't count on any of the normal scary movie clues as to what's about to happen next. It seemed excellently placed and conducted, which is highly strived for in most of these films and barely ever achieved. The lighting worked well, as I mentioned before, think film noir, but in full color.

So overall, I'm still in shock over how well this went over with me. I'd love to see this get picked up and produced with a Hollywood level budget. This is one of those rare gems that you find in the industry that usually goes unnoticed, yet is a complete masterpiece. You don't have to be half-drunk or up till 3 am, for you to find any sense here. In fact, you'll probably have to think about it long after the film ends before you make all of the connections present. If you love psychological thrillers, sci-fi, or horror movies, I'd put this on your list to see. Top it off with a cherry Sunday and some gloomy candlelight, and you're bound to have a good time."

Very creepy movie

Shirley Gilliland | Spokane, WA | 05/15/2007

(4 out of 5 stars)

"Containment is not your normal horror movie. Until the end you aren't really sure what's going on, although watching it again you pick up several hints that you possibly should have seen the first time. I really liked this movie a lot. It's very suspensful and quite creepy. It is a bit confusing in some parts, but all in all it makes sense if you really pay attention. I would recommed this to people who like movies that make you think a little and aren't disappointed by a lack of gore."

GORE!!

Indiehorrorfan666 | 12/04/2006

(5 out of 5 stars)

"This movie rulz!

If you're at all a fan of gore films, then you should see this thing! It's got decapitations, gunshots, stabbings, car accident victims and these zombie-like mutilated humans wrapped in plastic body bags! Freaking awesome! And yeah, yeah, it's an independent film. You guys are a bunch of complainers. It's f***en sweet for an independent film. Tons better than the crap that they usually throw out on the shelf.

And I should add that it starts off kinda slow, but somebody dies within the first 5 minutes. Then there's a bunch of running around and some weird s***t goes down. Then near the middle of the film the story really picks up and you get a lot of action and gore. The story is really complicated because these guys wing you all over the place, and you have no f-ing clue what's going on. Then they did a good job with the ending and it wasn't disappointing like most cheap thrill movies.

There's plenty of scares too and they got me to jump at one part! So turn it up when you watch it! They had a lot of loud noises and flashing images that come out of nowhere. Worth every cent if you like gore being scared by flashing images and loud noises or deep storylines.

5 stars!
"

Overall a Good Indy Film

Ryan Fisher | USA | 11/24/2006

(3 out of 5 stars)

"I agree with some of the good reviews here. I found it pretty cheap, so
I
bought it. It's a definite keeper & also one of the better indy
sci-fi
flicks to come out in recent years. It's a decent film, not a "must
buy"
but a decent film. Don't get me wrong, "Containment" isn't without it's
flaws, it's definately not a Classic. At the same time though, this is
gonna seem like Romero's "Dawn of the Dead" compared to some of the
recent
indy films. You'll get the picture when you see it. This is
definately
worth a rental, might even be worth putting on your shelf if you're a
hardcore collector. I felt this movie stayed true to what the director
wanted it to be and even though on a budget I enjoyed it. The best part
was the bittersweet ending, something I didn't see coming, as I felt it
made the movie a rewarding experience to watch. Sure this is not Oscar
material but it provided an afternoon of thrills and chills as I love
random campy horrors. Overall this is better than I expected and was a
great rental.
"