Movies: F

F is a new horror/thriller from British director Johannes Roberts ('When Evil Calls', 'Forest of the Damned'), which was premiered at London's Film4 Fright Fest on August 27th this year.





Plot:

"The college day ends, the school building becomes a vast complex of dark corridors, eerily quiet classrooms, empty save for a few staff and children. What none of the remaining teachers and pupils realize is tonight is going to be a night they will remember for the rest of their lives. Viciously attacked by a pupil in the past English teacher Robert Anderson was devastated when the governing board refused to back his lawsuit to avoid bad publicity and scandal. Now a burned-out, world-weary alcoholic trying to reconnect with his daughter, Anderson must finally face his most terrifying demons. For the school comes under relentless attack from a faceless threat intent on causing maximum mayhem. Alone Anderson must battle brutal bloodthirsty killers, and his deepest fears, in a desperate battle for the survival of those he holds most dear. Will lessons be learned? "

I can see why they'd choose to use this idea for the film. In the UK at least, there have been a few notorious cases of teachers unable to defend themselves from violent pupils in recent years and, the stereotype of youths in hoodies is fairly synonymous with troublemakers, so it's easy to evoke menace with this imagery. Of course, there's plenty who don't wear them who engage in antisocial behaviour and plenty of people who do wear hoodies because...they're cold, but that's the stereotype.

Anyway, back to the film! It looks like it might be good, but to be honest, the roaring and leaping about done by the hooded figures seems quite strange within the context. I suppose without all of the superhuman abilities the assailants appear to have, the film may have become another tale of teen delinquency rather than a horror movie, but 2008's 'Eden Lake' (directed by James Watkins and also released through Optimum) managed to be a fairly creepy psychological horror/thriller with perpetrators who were even younger. However, I guess the unusual capibilities of these kids is more to convey the feeling of fear, rather than to have any kind of realistic value (despite the trailer suggesting that 'F' is "based on real events").

Nationwide UK release is set for September 17th.