NEEDLE is a film that I'd never heard of before seeing the cover. It intrigued me, looking like a HELLRAISER rip off with a mysterious kind of puzzle box being used to commit evil acts, so I thought I'd try it out. What I uncovered was a surprisingly enjoyable little movie that comes across as very familiar but made for a good evening's viewing all the same.
The storyline is indeed HELLRAISER themed, albeit with a few voodoo-themed twists. A bunch of high school students are tormented by a mystery villain who has the power to kill from afar. The horror content is strong stuff indeed, as the film is packed with some very gruesome death scenes which are effectively staged. It's a shame the director hasn't made more films in the horror genre given the strength of his work here.
Even better, one of the leads is played by VIKINGS star Travis Fimmel, who's always a delight to see on screen. Fimmel is well supported by the likes of Ben Mendelsohn playing the investigating cop, and in particularly a small but excellent turn from John Jarratt playing the local coroner. The scenes between Fimmel and Jarratt were a dream come true for this viewer, and I can only wish that Jarrett had more screen time. Still, it's enough...
The storyline is indeed HELLRAISER themed, albeit with a few voodoo-themed twists. A bunch of high school students are tormented by a mystery villain who has the power to kill from afar. The horror content is strong stuff indeed, as the film is packed with some very gruesome death scenes which are effectively staged. It's a shame the director hasn't made more films in the horror genre given the strength of his work here.
Even better, one of the leads is played by VIKINGS star Travis Fimmel, who's always a delight to see on screen. Fimmel is well supported by the likes of Ben Mendelsohn playing the investigating cop, and in particularly a small but excellent turn from John Jarratt playing the local coroner. The scenes between Fimmel and Jarratt were a dream come true for this viewer, and I can only wish that Jarrett had more screen time. Still, it's enough...