TEN MINUTES TO MIDNIGHT (Film Review)

 

Starring: Caroline Williams, Nicole Kang, Nicholas Tucci

Directed by: Erik Bloomquist

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Approaching that last day at your job can be an emotion-filled catalogue that can range from relief to sadness...possibly even infection and possession - WHOA! Don't let me get ahead of myself here - anyhoo, I was lucky enough to be granted a review link to director Erik Bloomquist's latest film: Ten Minutes To Midnight, and not only due to the fact that he is a fellow Connecticut fella like myself, the film's trailer had me hooked before I'd even pressed play. So, without any backups in the embalming tube, lets get this movie up on the slab for dissection, shall we?

Unbeknownst to her, radio DJ (and local legend) Amy Marlowe (Williams in a standout role) strolls into her station ready to hit the airwaves for the final time, and what even makes this worse is that she's saddled with a "tagalong" for the shift. Sprightly and all too eager to learn Sienna (Kang) will be the new gal in the big chair, thanks to some seedy undertaking from Amy's station manager, Robert (William Youmans). Amy's now nursing what she believes to be a bat bite on her neck and is feeling the debilitating after-effects from the rabid attack, but is what she's seeing in the station actually happening, or is it a result of the wound itself? As her mask of sanity slowly begins to slip into the night, this last shift promises to be one that will go down as one of the most disturbing employment-finales anyone's ever recorded! 

With Erik's directorial style and his brother Carson's writing savvy, the movie moves along at a brisk pace, with more than enough nightmarish imagery and comedic instances to give it a fresh off the block mix - trust me when I tell you, this one doesn't allow itself to grow moss on its ass. Complemented by some utterly fantastic performances (especially that of the late Nicholas Tucci as a station security guard), we're constantly hooked by whomever has the light on them at the time. Now, for the film's most shining entity - the alluring, hypnotic and completely mesmerizing Caroline Williams - this gal not only takes this movie by the throat, but firmly plants her boot on its neck and makes it hers - it's that commanding of a performance and possibly one of her greatest ever (and that's saying a lot here, horror junkies!) With an absolute laundry-list of emotions, she conveys her character's sense of not only isolation within herself, but sheer panic when the bat-shit hits the fan.

Overall, I personally cannot rave enough about this film and look forward to seeing it on the big screen when it continues on its current tour (check out @mainframepictures on Instagram for the full listing). If you're up for a full-assault on your visual senses with blood, guts...more blood...and Caroline Williams spewing blood, then this one's for you - if not, might I suggest keeping your sensitive butts at home, cause this one's surely for the gorehounds. Quite possibly one of the strongest entries for top horror film in this wacky year known as 2020 -  Ten Minutes To Midnight is coming for your throat - don't miss it!

FILM RATING: 4 out of 5