A perplexing plot positively packed with potential perpetuates preposterous personification of paranoid people punctuated by particularly precise production practices in this passion project with a propensity for a pleasant playtime.

Craving is a new creature feature from horror veteran J. Horton. It’s the story of a group of heroin addicts who hold up a bar while a group of people gathers outside warning them a monster is hidden amongst them. What’s the biggest threat to the bar staff and patrons and how will get out alive?

Directed and edited by J. Horton, the use of light and shadow is very visually appealing. The red and blue lights give the film an enjoyable atmosphere. Set primarily in one setting, he maximizes the bar set piece by filming it from a variety of angles. Medium shots and close-ups also provide a claustrophobic sense. The whodunit aspect adds paranoia to the mix as well. The editing is choppy at times. Some fight scenes look like people aren’t punching each other what so ever when they should be and at other times it’s hard to tell who was killed and how. I love the practical effects for the gore. Everything from small lacerations to disembowelment and more is front and centre in spectacularly well done ways. Plenty of indicators arise that this film was cheaply made but Robert Bravo and Bravo FX make the most of what’s at their disposal. For example, sometimes the fake blood doesn’t look right but the bigger pieces like intestines and creature design are fantastic. This isn’t for the squeamish or faint of heart. This is for hardcore fans of body horror.

Written by J. Horton and Gregory Blair, I discovered upon my research the first draft was penned back in 2010. $63,000 on Indiegogo was raised to produce it. Interwoven between the main plot is a mixture of backstories explaining how some characters wound up in their current situation. It makes Craving more interesting by adding different dimensions to them in such a unique story structure. It gets problematic when it gets over complicated which makes certain plot points unclear. It even has flashbacks within flashbacks. It over-explains things that fundamentally become inconsequential to the plot and under-explains crucial information. For example, the way the creature works biologically is left up in the air when that’s something that should have been focused on. Because of that the resolution is confusing.

The acting isn’t great. Some character reactions are unintentionally funny. Some of the highlights from the cast include Felissa Rose as Les, Al Gomez as Hunter, Kevin Caliber as Mac, and Ashley Undercuffler as Frenzy. Some characters are one-dimensional, only there for the body count. Also, the ways characters are connected are muddled because so much is going on at once. At an 85-minute runtime, there isn’t much wiggle room to juggle so many characters. The film could have been a half hour longer and I would have been fine with it as long as these issues were addressed.

Overall, despite the convoluted plot with too many characters, Craving is massively fun. I couldn’t take my eyes off it and I was curious enough about where it was going to see how things get resolved. The ending can make or break any film and this one makes up for the discombobulated story told to get there. It touches on themes of addiction, indignation, grief, revenge, claustrophobia, paranoia, and justice. It’s similar to The Thing (1982), Resident Evil (2002), and The Relic (1997). I’d recommend this to fans of those. And remember, satisfaction is guaranteed to feed your need to see others bleed indeed.