THE WARD

title: THE WARD
year: 2010
cast: Amber Heard, Jared Harris
rating: **

Anyone hoping for the old John Carpenter… Or rather, the young John Carpenter’s old films… will be disappointed in this mind-trip thriller that only passes as a horror whenever the antagonist… the zombie of a former patient inside a psychiatric ward… shows up and kills.

The plot is simple if nonexistent: A beautiful young girl is admitted into a sanitarium, and she’s not sure why. All we know is she burned down a house – and with some exposition-clues provided by chief doctor Jared Harris, we’re led to believe there’s something else to learn: keeping the viewer somewhat intrigued.

The inhabitants are five beautiful girls, and this seems like Carpenter’s cup of tea… His groundbreaking HALLOWEEN served up young beauties as victims, but these characters aren’t interesting enough to care about: even if they all act crazy.

There are some good frights i.e. sudden unexpected jolts, but any director can pull that off. The only reminiscence of the master’s style is the first-person glide-cam; giving the feel the girls are being watched and stalked.

But that persistent aura of dreaded doom, which makes any horror movie worthwhile, just isn’t there – unless the killer’s around to remind us to be scared while a thunderstorm persists outside. And the conclusion/twist is somewhat creative, but that’s for you to decide.