The Hive
Directed by David Yarovesky. Written by David Yarovesky and Will Honley
Sometimes Fathom events will have a one night only screening of some independent movie usually of the horror variety. These movies have fascinated me every time I see them.
I wonder how they get picked. What makes Primal Rage, The Hive and The Final Wish eligible for inclusion? Fathom events are usually special events and therefore cost more
than an average movie. Very few people would take a chance like that. So naturally my curiosity is piqued.
So what makes The Hive, a little low budget movie about a virus that turns people into mindless black tar spewing monsters infecting a summer camp, eligible for inclusion for
the Fathom events? I think it being produced by Nerdist might have something to do with it. They haven't produced a movie before or haven't produced a movie since. It is an
interesting idea for a horror movie. A virus that forces people in the grisly way possible to be connected all at once. They can see what the others see, they can feel what they feel
and you find out exactly how they use that and you can recall memories from the others infected. Visually this movie is like a Jackson Pollock painting riddled with caffeine pills on an
empty stomach. It uses black light to a good effect. It uses the black blood and the gnarly veins to good effect. The color scheme to the movie makes it stand out among other
low budget horror movies. It looks visually stunning. It doesn't look cheap. That's the big difference between something like this and Scream Park. Scream Park was not able to
utlitize what it had to make things more cinematic. The Hive is able to do that.
The effects as mentioned are terrific. It's gruesome but unappealing. The color scheme works well with making things stand out and capture your attention. I was on board with the
hive mind lunacy. The thing I felt lacked and brought this movie down some was the relationship between the protagonist and his best friend and love interest. I'm sure they have
names but I can't remember them. The hero is a womanizing douchebag bedding down as many of the girls in camp as he possibly can. He tries these very same tricks with Jessie(I think that
is her name but honestly I have no clue). She shuts him down because she knows all about the way he operates. He tries to profess his love. She is having none of this. We now
have our character arc. Of course his best friend has feelings for a girl who his friend beds. He takes this personally. We have this soap opera bit going on amongst the disease
and grue. It doesn't work. The music is telling me that it should work but it simply doesn't.
This is not a bad film. It is enjoyable and I dug what it was trying to do. It is not scary. It tries to be with its jump scares. It is visually insane and it makes up for its low budget with
its camera work and great make up work. I give this movie a B.
