Studio: RLJE Films
Director: Frank Sabatella
Writer: Frank Sabatella, Jason Rice
Producer: Peter Block, Cory Neal
Stars: Jay Jay Warren, Sofia Happonen, Cody Kostro, Siobhan Fallon Hogan, Chris Petrovski, Francisco Burgos, Uly Schlesinger, Timothy Bottoms, Frank Whaley
Review Score:
Summary:
A troubled teenager finds a bloodthirsty monster hiding in his shed that could be a solution to his problems or lead to even greater ones.
Review:
As Pilgrim Hill’s sheriff puts it, Stan could use a break. One parent died from cancer, the other by suicide, leaving Stan to live with his alcoholic grandfather Ellis. When the perpetually troubled teen isn’t getting his ass kicked by school bully Marble, he’s getting into it with a deputy who reminds him juvenile detention won’t be an option after Stan turns eighteen next month.
At least Stan has his one and only buddy Dommer for support. Sort of. Dommer disapproves of Stan’s unrequited crush on Roxy, a former friend who dumped the duo once she got in good with the cool clique. Not unlike Ellis, Dommer often wishes Stan would simply stick up for himself and assert some authority that might redirect his disappointing life for the better.
Major changes have to wait however, as Ellis demands Stan mow the lawn. That’s another goal Stan won’t accomplish because when he opens the shed, the bruised boy unexpectedly finds a fanged vampire staring him in the face. And it’s hungry.
For Dommer, the creature presents a permanent solution to their beatdown problems at school. But Stan flat out refuses to use the monster for murder. As if he didn’t have enough piling up on his plate, Stan still has to figure out what to do about the beast in his backyard before it does to him what it did to his grandfather’s dog.
Monster movies with coming-of-age commentary typically use transformation as a metaphor for maturity. That’s not exactly the case with “The Shed.” Vampirism doesn’t alter Stan directly. Instead, it’s the external impetus compelling him to finally face the issues influencing his personality, and forcing him to choose what kind of person he ultimately wants to be.
I wouldn’t say “The Shed” entrenches itself in its themes of overcoming adversity on the road to adulthood. At one point, Stan and Roxy have a challenging heart-to-heart about their estranged friendship that touches on topics like small town stir craziness, putting on airs to be someone you’re not, and other issues of self-doubt and self-worth. It’s arguable if any such subjects see a substantive resolution beyond that scene. Once those cards are dealt to the table, vampire violence interrupts introspection at the last act switch and “The Shed” never really looks back.
I don’t think it matters how much or how little “The Shed” stews in its subtext. That should be welcome news for anyone to whom the preceding summary sounds like a schmaltzy episode of “The Wonder Years” that somehow got spliced with “Subspecies.” You can stuff all of the 90210 drama in a trashcan if you wish. “The Shed” works wickedly as a terrific thriller featuring plentiful pockets of crimson carnage and splattery shocks.
Make no mistake, the film is surprisingly dark, often dead serious, and has no fear about high stakes consequences for characters who dare to dirty themselves with dastardly deeds. But a casual charm emerges from unusually down-to-earth fiction that makes “The Shed” endearing without being cutesy or comedic.
Two producers have p.g.a initials and notable names like Bear McCreary oversee the score. Never mind the coat of polish that professional experience brings. “The Shed” remains an independent production whose evident passion turns it into an exceptional example of earnest indie moviemaking. With much of the film shot outdoors to boot, longtime vets (Timothy Bottoms and Frank Whaley) and relative newbies (Cillian Murphy lookalike Cody Kostro) collectively constitute an excellent ensemble cast of vested characters who emotionally anchor action.
The most noticeable issue involves several sequences that stretch a touch too long. One scene features Stan racing on foot to beat the sheriff back to his house. Suspense gets set up as expected, yet alternating cuts keep coming, bounding back and forth between the two unknowing adversaries well past the point where elastic can snap back with an energetic crack. Two or three shots, not five or fix, of Stan sharpening stakes during a Rambo weapons prep montage would have sufficed too. We’re not talking about an upheaval in the editing room. But a tiny trim to slightly excessive scenes such as Stan and Roxy stalking through shadows during the finale would prevent some of that anxious air from escaping the atmosphere.
“The Shed” squeezes in other conceits like a single-scene deputy who only exists so he can trade sentences with the sheriff to deliver an expository bit of backstory. But the movie otherwise stays tight, and its hiccups are only heard because they’re trying hard to enhance storytelling.
First-time features, particularly modestly budgeted ones, from freshman filmmakers usually don’t look this smooth, or play this entertainingly either. If the appealing acting, original plotting, and smart script melding horror with heart are also indications of what’s to come, “The Shed” puts writer/director Frank Sabatella on a path toward success that should continue paying dividends to genre film fans in the future.
Review Score: 80
At least the movie only runs 70 minutes, though I suppose that extra 10 technically disqualifies it from being a literal amateur hour.