Pontypool (15)

PONTYPOOL'S a horror film, although it's got nothing to do with the Welsh market town. Hell, it's not THAT scary.

But it's not far off, mind. This Canadian-made indie chiller boasts one of the most effective horror scripts in ages.

How so? Because it makes you believe in a massive zombie rampage - without, for the most part, actually showing you any zombies.

Stephen McHattie stars as DJ Grant Mazzy, a washed-up shock jock relegated to a small talk radio station broadcasting from a church cellar in rural Ontario, Canada.

After a weird encounter with a woman in a trance-like state on his way to work, Grant gets stuck into the daily grind of school closure and lost-cat stories, along with his producer Sydney (Lisa Houle) and her young assistant Laurel-Ann (Georgina Reilly).

But then reports start filtering through of a riot taking place somewhere in the town, which is called Pontypool.

And after going to the station's "eye in the sky" reporter Ken Loney (Rick Roberts) for an firsthand report, it becomes clear that something more sinister is going on. Apart from a couple of snowy outdoor shots, the entire film takes place in the church cellar studio.

But brilliantly, writer Tony Burgess and director Bruce McDonald have made it feel like an actual style choice, rather than a sign of the film's microscopic budget.

Because you only HEAR about the zombie attacks and never (until near the end, anyway) actually SEE them, it works like a spine-tingling campfire ghost story, with the tension building every time a new phone call or scrap of information comes through.

Plus, the twist as to how the zombie virus spreads is smart, original and all too fitting for the film's radio station setting.

Pontypool doesn't paint the walls with gore or stun you with huge scenes of an epic undead rumble.

But it's a masterclass in building horror atmosphere.

Finally, it's a zombie film with the one thing zombies have been crying out for all these years:

BRRAAAIIINNNSS.

OUT FRIDAY

This article has 0 comments