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Just watched Marcus Dunstan's directorial debut THE COLLECTOR. Hands down one of the most original, violent, fun films in recent memory. It's been a while since a horror film has held my attention as intensely as this one.
This is balls out nastiness. Dunstan never even considers pulling a punch here. I guess at its core THE COLLECTOR is the latest in the so titled "torture porn" sub genre. Makes sense I guess since Dunstan and his writing partner Patrick Melton pretty much single handedly invented the sub genre with their work in the FEAST and SAW franchises but this film is much more than that.
Clever and cunning THE COLLECTOR reels you in with a taut creepy storyline that hints at the goods and then delivers ten fold.
After a brief opening sequence that hints at things to come we find ourselves at the country home of a wealthy family. A lot of activity going on. Repairmen, exterminators and assorted other contractors are there as it appears the family is gearing up to move in for the summer season. We meet Arkin, aptly played by Josh Stewart. He's a handyman doing assorted home fix up jobs. He has befriended the family especially the youngest daughter who reminds him of his own daughter.
The family he is working for (The Chase's) are getting ready to take a trip so he won't have to work for a week or so. His boss pays him and he is off to meet up with his daughter and ex wife. Seems she has gotten herself into some trouble with a loan shark and the money that Arkin how brought won't do the trick to get them off her back. She's freaked and Arkin is concerned about his daughter. Turns out that Arkin is an ex con with a background in theft and safe cracking. While he's been working at the CHASE house he couldn't help but notice the big old safe in the one bedroom and he knows there is some jewels in there that will surely take care of his ex's debt. The decision is made to head to the Chase's and rob the safe. He figure it will be an easy in and out job knowing that the family had earlier that day left on their vacation.
Under cover of nightfall he breaks in and heads right to the safe. While doing his thing he hears some sounds but writes them off to just being jumpy, until he hears the screams.
Turns out that someone has broken in before he got there. Someone has broken in before the family left. Someone is holding them all hostage and torturing them in very inhuman ways.
Our man Arkin becomes the reluctant hero as he attempts to save the very family he went there to rob.
Our baddie has rigged the house with all kinds of booby traps and sick, clever ways of dying. To get into them would ruin the viewing for you. Let's just leave it as don't take your eyes off the screen once the flick starts cause you're not going to want to miss even one second of the wicked coolness that is going on.
First time director Dunstan shows a real flair behind the camera and he always keeps the film jumping along. Even during some of what could have been boring character development sequences Dunstan keeps it interesting with great camera movement and radical lighting.
I liked this film on just about every level a film can be liked.
I really don't understand why THE COLLECTOR didn't find an audience last year when it hit theaters and I don't understand why it has taken a full year to make its journey to DVD. I'm just glad to see it's finally avaialble and I strongly urge you to seek it out.
THE COLLECTOR has the potential of being the sleeper DVD release of the year. Fans need to pick it up and support it. Trust me, it's a good one.
THE COLLECTOR is available April 6th on DVD and Blu-ray.
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