Whereas streaming providers and main movie studios try to find modern methods to get folks to half with their cash, director Brandon Slagle already has the surefire successful system: Launch a film about alligators terrorising and searching people. The Flood stars Casper Van Dien, Nicky Whelan, and Louis Mandylor, however nobody is right here for the characters they painting – as that is all about these hungry alligators whose favorite music is undoubtedly Drowning Pool’s “Our bodies.”
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A hurricane sweeps throughout Louisiana and ends in town being flooded. Because the water stage rises, a congregation of alligators infests a neighborhood police station. It additionally so occurs that this station is housing in-transit prisoners and guards as they look forward to the nasty storm to cross over. Expectedly, when people are supposed to band collectively to remain alive, they do the other because the alligators discover themselves with tons of snacks on provide.
Depart your mind on the door
Paying homage to Lake Placid or Anaconda, The Flood is a low-budget monster film that’s all about man versus beast. There isn’t an intricate subliminal message or deeper subject material in Chad Regulation and Josh Ridgway’s script; this can be a straight-up survival movie that’s meant to be extra entertaining than thought-provoking. It really works, too, as Slagle has everybody on board along with his imaginative and prescient right here. The actors lean into their archetypal roles and ham it up when completely obligatory, and there might be various characters everybody will hope the alligators sink their enamel into.
Because the leads, Van Dien and Whelan obtain the majority of the display screen time right here and extra growth of their character arcs. Van Dien’s Cody is the standard prisoner-with-a-heart-of-gold trope – the one who has been locked up however has a justifiable motive for it. Whelan leans into her function as Sheriff Newman who’s underestimated by the misogynistic prisoners, however she delivers beatdowns that can instil respect in them.
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Once more, none of that is Oscar-worthy performing or storytelling that can revolutionise the style. That being mentioned, it’s unlikely the viewers tunes in to see how the human characters develop in a monster film. As an alternative, they need to witness what number of of those suckers might be chomped.
The Flood thrills greater than scares
Let’s speak in regards to the alligators right here for a second since they’re clearly CGI. (Truthfully, did anybody count on any union to log off on having real-life alligators chasing people on set?) The creature designs aren’t about to win any award for excellent CGI, so it’s a very good factor that Slagle decides to make use of them sparingly all through the movie. By taking this strategy, it really intensifies the thrilling issue of The Flood, as any sudden ripple within the water riles up the viewers and makes everybody sit up in anticipation.
This isn’t a scary film that can have folks shrieking in horror. The gore is restrained and the leap scares are minimal, because it turns into extra in regards to the people looking for a option to escape from a confined state of affairs. The setup is easy: The sandbox is the flooded constructing they’re in, to allow them to attempt to transfer to a different room, however because of the environmental situations, the alligators will all the time have the benefit. The one approach out is to get to dry, larger floor the place alligators can’t attain them.
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Seize the popcorn
Look, nobody ought to stroll into The Flood anticipating way more than what’s on show. The movie is greater than sincere about what it’s about. With that in thoughts, it’s a enjoyable film to kill time. Don’t be stunned if it kicks off a plethora of sequels that ultimately culminate with Lake Placid and The Flood vs. Anaconda and Python. Hopefully, in some unspecified time in the future, somebody sends these alligators into area, too.