Open 24 Hours (2018)

   
Written & Directed by: Padraig Reynolds

Starring:

Vanessa Grasse .... Mary White
Brendan Fletcher .... Bobby
Daniel O'Meara .... Tom Doogan
Emily Tennant .... Debbie
Cole Vigue .... James

Release Dates:
FrightFest London: August 27, 2018; Fantastic Fest: September 22, 2018; Screamfest LA: October 12, 2018

 

Rating:

 

A paranoid delusional woman Mary White (Vanessa Grasse) has been released from prison but under the aid of her probation officer Tom Doogan (Daniel O'Meara) in which she set her ex-boyfriend James (Cole Vigue) on fire whom is a serial killer.
She gets a job at a gas station working graveyard shift as things seem too quiet as well she thinks she's getting threatening phone calls as well as James coming back for her or is she just imagining this???

 

An impressive beginning with Mary White signing an application form at the gas station as well as her signing that she created a felony as well as talking to the owner nervously with him acting laid back as well as him asking what kind of a crime she committed to which there was funny moments into their conversations which works well into the story.
Nice conversations between Mary and Debbie in their vehicle driving home afterwards as the moments were well drawn in to the story.
Nice intense situation when Mary catches her ex-boyfriend James drowning someone in a bathtub in which this looked brutal and somewhat disturbing as I had a feeling that she was hallucinating.
Things get rolling when there's realistic discussions between her and her probation officer Tom Doogan with him getting stern towards her as the mooments didn't look pretty at all when he gets hard towards her as this looked realistic as it left me a feeling that I wouldn't want a probation officer likee that in my life if I committed a crime.
Good creepy moment when her phone rings and she gets a nasty call as this was a perfect touch for a horror flick making you wonder if she's imagining this or not.
Nice uplifting moment when Mary starts her shift and the fellow Bobby who's finishing off acts dimwitted but charming really added pizzaz to the scene making someone feeling welcome to theeir first start on their job.
The terror starts to happen when Debbie is trying to start her car and a terrific shot on a hooded figure watching her and holding a hammer which is a nice slasher type of tradition along with making the picture looking good and dark.
Then more of the chilling suspenseful moments start to occur when she browses the counter area and a figure zooms past in the distance like she's being watched as well as getting that phonee call again which worked greatly.
Then she receives her first customer whom is an oddball who seems to hit on her as this was another drawn in moment on someone who can make you feel uncomfortable in which these moments looked fairly powerful.
Then a great spooky moment when she's out in the rain and thinngs are still as this left me an impression that something is about to happen.
A perfect emotional discussion with Mary telling Bobby on what she did to her boyfriend as this conversation was perfectly concentrated as well as a great flashback sequence on Mary in a basement discoveriing a corpse which looked well done.
In the story Bobby drives away in his vehicle and then his car stalls in the heavy rain and tries to fix it as this is of course a good impression that the killer is watching him and will soon do him in which also was well shot.
While watching the rest of the story unravel there's humorous situations like a teen trying to buy some alcohol with a fake ID as the pic is a different person and she sells it to him as this made me chuckle a bit or she goes into the washroom and spots something in a grungy toilet as well as a creepy moment that was supposed to make you jump but misses. Yet a good crazy moment on a bloodied victim as this psyched me out and got the vibe that she was once again hallucinating.
Suddenly at the gas station we see James face to face with Mary which had a great daark horror feel as this boggled me by having a feeling that she was no longer hallucinating as well as this showing perfect horror timing.
Lots of great action packed suspense when she is struggling away from a woman trying to kill her for revenge in the store of the gas station which is a great effort on the filmmakers by making you watch carefully as to what will happen next.
Then the showdown happens when Mary is tied up as well as James pressuring her to tell her she loves him else he tortures some other tied up victims to death adding a perfect psychological feel to everything in which there's a murderous scene that borrows a killing from Black Christmas. Also a real brutal slaying that involves a sledgehammer as this made me cringe. The best slashing moment.
Lots of dynamic suspense and action with both Mary and Bobby using a shotgun to try and snuff out James while waiting for his next attack but yet it gives you the feeling that this will backfire as this is common for slasher films.
Mary really goes in for the kill to try and save herself which looked ddecently vengeful on what she does seeming to nearly pay a tribute to Silent Night Deadly Night.
Bottom line is that this flick was very well doe and seems to remind me of other slasher flicks such as I Know What You Did Last Summer and Scream. It was cleverly done on someone messing with someone's head and making things turning into an unsolved mystery as it's a brain teaser by wondering if this is really happening or not. Worth checking out if you like horrors taking place during a graveyard shift when things are too silent and still.

The performances are in terrific shape as Vanessa Grasse (Mary White) delivered and I mean that in every way. Shows a perfect nervousness when applying for a job making this believeable as well as getting scared and psyched out when terrifying things happen around her as she made this come to life. Also does well with her crying and other emotional behaviors. Had the perfect looks to portray someone whom is timid.
Brendan Fletcher (Bobby) was one of the best in the cast playing someone who seems dimwitted but very likeable and charming as he studies this part inside out. Had the right appeal to all of this. Also shows off a convincing sympathetic attitude later on which he was powerful by doing. Does well with his struggling behavior as he added alot of adrenaline doing.
Daniel O'Meara (Tom Doogan) offered a perfect seriousness and stern attitude as a probation officer along with coming across as someone slightly arrogant packing a great punch within all of this. Had the right tough looks as well as getting in your face as he comes across as someone you wouldn't care for. A good character actor.
Emily Tennant (Debbie) showed off a nice bubbly type of attitude as well as showing a ton of spunk into everything that she did. She was clear in her speaking and knew on how to act likeable as well as outgoing too. She was clear in her words as well as reacting well to stuff. Shows off some terrific enthusiasm and was highly energetic too.
Cole Vigue (James) had a perfect dark presence as the maniac in which he was great in his still and emotionless speaking just coming across as perfectly serious and cold by what he does. Shows alot of perfect insane aggressions when he goes in for the kill. Does well by acting manipulative too within all that he did here.

Persons face is scarred
Victims are bloodied
Side of a hammer is stabbed through someone's cheek
Womans head is bloodily shot
Person's head is deeply pounded by a sledgehammer
Neck is stabbed
Bloody gunshots
Another person is stabbed with deer antlers

The music put together by Holly Amber Church was terrific as she knew her stuff well in each scene with alot of the intense classical scoring for the suspenseful situations as well as perfect dark sounds along with the thumping which was on target for the suggestive moments that involved the killer. Also some nice piano and sad sounds when someone discusses on what had happened adding more good touches too.