Running Time: 74 Minutes
Certification: 15
Starring: Dylan Baldwin, Evangelina Burton, Jennifer Aries, Nobuse Jnr Uwaifo, Mike Kelson, Luke Dayhill, Alicia Novak, Stephen Corrall
Each year, FrightFest utilizes a First Blood strand to highlight emerging British talent at their well-known festival. Back in 2022, writer/director Will Higo made his feature debut as part of that year's First Blood offering. and The Group is now available for wider audiences to watch. The opening moments show recovering heroin addict Kara (Evangelina Burton) awakening in a hospital bed, the result of an overdose. Recognizing that she needs help, this wake-up call drives Kara to attend her first Addicts Anonymous meeting in six months.
She wishes to make amends for a past tragedy, but does not believe atonement is possible for the unrevealed action. It is something that has also affected other members of the group, leaving bad blood lurking within their shared presence. Joining that evening's session is Jack (Dylan Baldwin), a newcomer who makes his intentions known when he pulls out a loaded gun. With a personal vendetta, he is hellbent on making the group reveal their sins before judging if they are deserving of redemption. Will the group make peace with their past, or face the ultimate reckoning?
Interesting ideas are at play within this feature, as Higo paints a picture of people who feel only noticed when they are at fault, while their difficult attempts to better themselves are overlooked. When the characters are interrogated regarding if they actually have changed, this is the chance for a tense confrontation to test whether their claims are truthful. As revelations arise about each of the captives, this glimpse into the lurking darkness should reveal who they truly are.
This is unfortunately undone by what appears to be few attempts at characterization. It seems that singular traits were considered good enough for distinguishing these group members, and it just makes it difficult to care for them. Matters are sadly hampered by performances which feel subpar, resembling a remedial version of Eastenders.
What sadly lets things down is how the direction never gets tense. This is due to the story feeling tethered to an idea of how things should unfold, leaving threatened deviations to not raise the pulse. If a character outside of the captive group appears, it ultimately feels like a distraction as Jack's plan is never in danger of unravelling. It all results in a 74-minute feature that feels like prolonged nonsense, leading to a bungled ending that is particularly heavy-handed. There could have been a good film about addicts made to face their sins through excess, but The Group is not that.
The Group is now available on Digital Download
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