A bus full of tourists, all hiding their own secrets, embarks on a tour of Holland’s finest countryside and windmills. After an unfortunate breakdown the passengers on-board find themselves without power and being preyed upon by the mysterious ‘Miller’ (Kenan Raven), who is out for blood and looking to kill. Can our heroine Jennifer (Charlotte Beaumont), and her new friends survive the night?
On paper The Windmill Massacre brings many of the genre tropes and slasher film cliches you’d expect but it also breaks conventions. The women keep their clothes on and do more than just scream, and our cast of oddballs range in age and race, refreshingly they aren’t the usual sexy college students.
Where director Nick Jongerius really excels is in his execution of the material. This is a fun movie. It’s an astutely-directed and finely crafted piece of work; Jongerius knows what he’s doing and he orchestrates the tension and the scares brilliantly, to create a chilling and unnerving atmosphere. Where this film also differs from other slasher flicks is in its gradual reveals; the script manages to surprise and keep the audience on their toes, second-guessing every now and then.
A film all about the dangers of keeping secrets the true horror of The Windmill Massacre comes from The Miller’s inability to weigh the severity of our characters sins. Granted all have committed despicable sins but some have noble motivations for their actions.
The characters themselves all work for the film. We find ourselves caring for the likes Jennifer and Nicholas (Noah Taylor) and the acting is all pretty solid too, with the performances helping to ground the scares and add some validity and levity to proceedings. However, it’s Raven‘s The Miller that is by far the most superior of the characters. He is a truly menacing and terrifying antagonist and you find yourself really on edge and tense every time he appears. But more than that, he is also an intriguing character with more nuance and depth than most bland, disposable slashers.
Jongerius brings enough excitement to keep this film fun and hugely watchable. It’s incredibly brutal and blood-soaked and it brings the scares and tension in abundance; the pace never once lets up and it’s a roller-coaster ride from start to finish. If you’re a fan of horror films and slasher thrillers, this is sure to entertain.
The Windmill Massacre is available to digitally download from Monday 26th September and on to own on DVD from Monday 3rd Oct. 2016..
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