Broadcast Signal Intrusion (2021) – Film Review
Director: Jacob Gentry
Cast: Harry Shum Jr, Kelley Mack and Chris Sullivan
Certificate: 15
By Roger Crow
A few years ago, locally made fantasy horror Await Further Instructions did a terrific job of presenting some fine imagery with a claustrophobic tale which preempted the whole lockdown fear of injections and mass hysteria.
Broadcast Signal Intrusion feels like the sequel, and in more than just that tech-inflected name. It has a similar vibe, at times, though it’s a case of cinematic brushstrokes paint everything with shades of darkness.
Here’s a bit of a revelation horror movie makers: not all such films have to be shot with a 30-watt bulb. Some of the most disturbing movies take place on sunny days.
So instead we have 50 shades of meh. Grim, darkness, gloom. You get the picture.
“Genuinely creepy”
It takes place in the late 90s, when a video archivist unearths a series of sinister pirate broadcasts. He becomes obsessed with uncovering the dark conspiracy behind the images.
The cast, including Glee veteran Harry Shum Jr, Kelley Mack and Chris Sullivan do a good job with the material, and it has some genuinely creepy moments.
However, here’s another revelation: watching guys spool through video tapes for ages is slightly less thrilling than watching paint dry.
It has a cool bluesy score; that finale is wonderfully creepy, and while it would have been nice to have more blue skies amid all the darkness, if noirish chillers are your cuppa, then this might be right up your street.
