The Movie: Depraved
The Director: Larry Fessenden
The Cast: David Call, Joshua Leonard, Alex Breaux
The Story: A disillusioned field surgeon suffering from PTSD makes a man out of body parts and brings him to life in a Brooklyn loft.
The Review:
How many times have we seen Frankenstein's monster come to life in various forms? We've seen the classic version, modern versions, B-movie versions, cartoon versions, comedy versions, and just about any other version you could think of so how in the world could anyone pull off a fresh, original, and timely take on a timeless and often tiring character that is as iconic and recognizable as any horror character ever put on screen. The answer to that question, I am here to tell you, lies within the framework of Larry Fessenden's new film, Depraved.
Setting the story within the modern scientific debate of what it means to create life in a laboratory versus the traditional way humans have always done it was a really smart decision and really opens up a lot of moral and ethical questions for the characters to play with. David Call plays Henry, this movie's version of Dr. Frankenstein, who has a genuine passion for the work he is doing versus his old college buddy and financier Polidori, played by Joshua Leonard, who is looking at the endeavor from a purely profitable perspective. The economic machine that is driven by big pharma is portrayed as the villain which of course we can all relate to as something truly scary.
Alex Breaux plays Adam, Henry's creation, in a very unique and analysis driven way that is less childlike and more human than I was expecting. The way he problem solves and makes decisions based on his study is rather methodical and at times misguided which leads to some very interesting and, in a couple cases, very gory results. Fessenden holds nothing back when it comes to the brutal nature of the story yet still manages to keep a simmering restraint that never reaches what you think is going to be a full boiling point and that is what makes the movie so good.
The Verdict:
Depraved is a brilliant retelling of one of Hollywood's most iconic horror creations. Genre expert Larry Fessenden deliberately stitches together a modernized tale that brings the characters to life in completely new ways while surgically deconstructing some of the real horrors of modern society.
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