Ok, so you expect a film called "Rust Belt Driller" to have about as much nuance as a drill bit to the head, but this is a really good film that deserves some love.
As someone who thought the classic "Driller Killer" was rubbish (I was 12, so I could be wrong), and more generally doesn't go in for "gore fest" movies, I expected this to be one of those violent shocker films with a meritless script, cardboard acting, and a budget that should have been spent elsewhere. Oh no. Not at all. In fact, my only problem with this movie is its title, which is a bit of a conundrum. A film called "Rust Belt Driller" is going to draw an audience. There are hordes of people (not to mention distributors) who will snap up anything promising a cheap visceral thrill. Grunge horror is just about the only genre that can be made with no money and still make some. Sad, but true. Unfortunately for the makers of this film, they are going to draw and then disappoint those people. This film is an arthouse psychological study dressed up as a horror film. The problem is thus; a title that gives an inkling to its true nature might risk vanishing into obscurity never finding the right audience. That hypothetical subset being people probably too consumed watching the next Oscar baiting "independent" (read: lower budget studio-produced) gem or "foreign" film. So instead, we have a film promising shocks and gore, yet delivering none of that. Alright, there is some; but it's played almost ironically. People looking for a shock fest are going to be disappointed by what they find and therefore (in my opinion) unfairly say this is a bad film. I feel that the same thing happened with the recent "Halloween Ends", which was marketed as one thing (the same as all the other films before it), yet turned itself into something beautiful instead. I suppose watching either of these films off the back of their promotional content is a bit like ordering a pizza and getting salmon and rice. It's not what you were expecting. It doesn't have the wide appeal. But isn't it really better, more delicious?
The film this most reminds me of isn't a horror film at all, but rather "Donnie Darko", an almost unclassifiable film itself, but nonetheless one of my all-time favourites. This is a film that draws you into the mind of its protagonist (Aaron Krygier, who also wrote and produced the movie) and makes you uncomfortable through suffering in his psychological struggles. It does this using techniques that provoke emotional responses rather than gut reactions to visual torture to get you wincing. What we have here is not a video nasty, but rather a fascinating drama/tone piece about mental health. Aaron is great, as is the "presence" played by Veronica Knightly (who mysteriously doesn't seem to be in anything else). Her part reminded me a bit of the mother in Darren Aronofsky's film by the same name. She's part ghost, part love interest, part symbol of sadness. She doesn't even get much to say. It's a marvel of acting, cinematography and editing to create that being (I don't want to say character). The actress is definitely one to watch too (though as I mentioned, it seems like you can't in anything else, so watch this!). Fear not; it isn't all doom and gloom. Much like in the life of a depression sufferer, there are shifts in tone here. The comic sections are really funny and even more strangely, they don't seem out of place. Andy Rich, Roselyn Kasmire and Kristina Santiago play these sections wonderfully and elevate the film even further.
In closing, I would say this is a film that might not be the most pleasant watch, but it is truly wonderful, and it's an experience that will stay with you. Do yourself a favour and watch it! It might make a nice double bill with Lars Von Trier's Melancholia or the similarly great-but-bleak Requiem for a Dream (another Aronofsky).
