Storm Warning (2007)

A yuppie couple lost in a thick brush filled marsh seek refuge at an isolated farmhouse only to discover they’ve jumped out of the frying pan into the fire.

Storm Warning is a 2007 Australian horror film directed by Jamie Blanks, who is probably most famous for directing the 1998 cult slasher film Urban Legend.

Storm Warning revolves around Rob (Robert Taylor) and Pia (Nadia Farès) , a couple who are out for a day of sailing. As so often happens in horror movies, they find themselves lost in a heavy storm and end up on a desolate island. They come across a house which appears to be empty, but unfortunately there is no telephone or means of communication to the outside world. Not long after, the deranged redneck owners, Brett (Mathew Wilkinson), Jimmy (David Lyons), and their even more terrifying father Poppy (John Brumpton) return, and Rob and Pia realize a fear far beyond anything they have ever known. The couple are held captive and subjected to some degradation and humiliation. When Rob and Pia learn their kidnappers have no intention of ever letting them go alive, they finally understand they must do whatever it takes just to survive, and whatever it takes means going to a limit they could never have imagined.

Rob & Pia

Being a fan of Urban Legend (and hell, I even quite liked Valentine……..) Jamie Blanks shows off some excellent directing skills here. The cinematography, special effects and camera work were all way above my expectations for a low-budget horror movie, and it looked like a lot of time, care and attention went into making this film.

Poppy

Acting wise, with just a small cast on show, everyone pulls their weight and plays their role perfectly here. We have the angry, violent brother and the quiet, shy brother who does as he is told. Poppy (who also played ‘Daddy’ in The Loved Ones) is terrifying, evil and if there is ever a character is a film that deserves some pain and punishment, he would be one you would pray it happens too. Our couple of troubled travellers are great, and I really wanted them to survive this ordeal. Pia in particular, it’s so nice to see a female character who is not only good to look at, but smart and methodical. Her decision when she learns that she will be raped by the rednecks is something I doubt you will have seen before (unless you have seen the movie Teeth – the director was actually gutted that movie came out before his!).

Any ideas where this is going?

Lots of blood is spilled in Storm Warning. One kill in particular is one of the most memorable deaths I’ve ever seen, and wouldn’t look out of place in a SAW movie. All I’ll say is fish hooks, and lots of them! This scene looked so realistic, and again respect must go to the special effects team for making this scene look so good.

Not everything is perfect. It’s not really an original idea, and a couple of decisions made are questionable and a little far-fetched, but on the whole I’m struggling to find criticisms and  I felt Storm Warning ticked all the boxes a horror fan such as myself needs.

In essence Storm Warning is a twisted take on Goldilocks And The Three Bears as a couple of city slickers come face to face with violence in the Aussie boondocks. It was supposed to be released in theatres by the Weinstein company, but due to delays and then the under performance of Hostel Part II, it saw a change of tactic that led to a lot of violent horror and torture films start going straight to DVD, and that’s what happened to Storm Warning. It’s a shame really as this film has more in common with older revenge flicks from the Seventies and Eighties than the backpacker torture films of recent years. There are lots of deliberate nods to films such as The Texas Chain Saw Massacre, Deliverance, Straw Dogs and The Last House on the Left, but this doesn’t detract from the film at all. I really recommend Storm Warning if you like your thrillers tense, clever and a little bloody.

Posted by Tysoncarter182 on November 3, 2012

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