In 1995 Larry Fessenden gave the world his spin on the vampire movie with Habit. Later in 2019 came his version of the Frankenstein story, Depraved. Now comes his take on the werewolf mythos, Blackout. Set in a small American town, Blackout joins Charley (Alex Hurt), a man who believes himself capable of transforming into a werewolf.
As with any good monster movie, Blackout opens with murder. Filmed from the perspective of the hunter, the camera hones in on an amorous couple. Their frivolities are quickly interrupted and before you can blink there is carnage on the screen. The next day, as the police are investigating the scene, comes the information that this is yet another in a string of killings. Coincidentally, all the killings are spaced around a month apart. For well versed horror fans this information screams werewolf, but the town’s police are looking for a more grounded explanation.
The townspeople themselves are also looking for a scapegoat and have targeted one of the local Hispanic men, Miguel (Rigo Garay). Their reasons for this deduction are many, but they are mainly driven by racism and classism. Miguel himself is one of the first to recognise the threat to be that of an ‘hombre lobo’ – werewolf. He has reached this conclusion after a near miss with the beast, but he is of course accused of lying. Charley, though, knows Miguel’s words to be true and is on a one man mission to save himself and the town around him. As he tours the rural setting one final time he intersects with a variety of residents which shed further light on the equilibrium of the place.
Slow and steady, Fessenden takes time in setting the status quo of Charley’s community. The camera flits from citizen to citizen, offering glimpses into the lives and beliefs of those who inhabit the world. It is an expansive and eclectic array of both actors and characters, but the collection perfectly builds an ideal ecosystem for this story. Far more time is spent with these strangers than with Charlie, but it is all for a clever reason. The pitchfork wielding townsfolk were a recurring motif in the old Universal monster days, and these snapshots present Fessenden’s interpretation of them. By spending time with these people you start to understand their fears, though Fessenden is sure to never indulge their attitudes.
In Charley, Fessenden presents a sympathetic ‘monster.’ He is not the traditional archetype for the wolf-man. Yes, he feels remorse for his actions, but he is not as hysterical as some others throughout history have been. Instead, he is rational with the truth about himself and has a plan to ‘fix’ the problem. More focus is placed on Charley trying to mend bridges, especially with his ex, Sharon (Addison Timlin).
Whereas Depraved was an intricate reworking of the Mary Shelley classic, Blackout is far looser with its kinship to werewolf films. The bulk of Blackout is set during the daytime. There is less onus on the importance of the moon, and far fewer night time scenes. This is because Fessenden is more interested in the man behind the monster. When the beast is unleashed however, it is brutal and bloody. The design itself is kept classic, a clear homage to Lon Chaney Jr. A low-fi and low key approach grounds the fantastical
Whilst Universal tried, and failed, to rejuvenate their classic monster movies with the ill-fated 2017 movie The Mummy, Fessenden has been successfully recreating them right under their noses. His reading of the vampire, creature and werewolf are vastly different to the classic icons of yesteryear, but it is their difference that makes them excel. Fessenden’s cinematic universe (pay attention during the film’s coda for how they connect) highlights that audience’s do still care about these monsters, they just require a more stripped-back and human approach.
Blackout
Summary
Another exemplary analysis of a classic Hollywood monster, Fessenden’s universe of creatures is the way forward.
Blackout was reviewed at Fantasia International Film Festival.
