Fantasia International Film Festival (FIFF) – Something sinister’s afoot in Lone Crow, after a canoe washes downstream, delivering a mangled body ashore. The Breach, based on Canadian author Nick Cutter’s novel, is a slow-burn, featuring characters in a small town where everyone knows each other. While the film requires patience, it does contain some impressive body horror and an aura of mystery leading to a satisfying payoff.

In director Rodrigo Gudiño’s feature, Allan Hawco stars as police chief John Hawkins, who has one foot out the door. He’s moving to the big city, though it’s never stated which city. However, the mystery regarding the dead body keeps him in town. He initially suspects the remains are that of physicist Cole Parsons (Adam Kenneth Wilson). He investigates where Cole did his latest research, and he’s aided by his ex, Meg (Emily Alatalo), and Jacob (Wesley French). Meg and Jacob used to date before she ended up with John. Talk about awkward. This film does lack sufficient character development, especially regarding Meg, Jacob, and even John. There’s a chance here to play up the history between the three, and other than some tension between Jacob and John, it’s a missed opportunity. It’s even unclear why John wants to bail on his job, other than maybe the breakup.

The film gets weirder when the trio encounters Cole’s wife, Linda (Natalie Brown), who’s also looking for her hubby. She reveals some of the bizarre research he engaged in, until suddenly, he shows up, though he’s not quite the family man Linda remembers. She suspects he’s responsible for the disappearance of their daughter, Isabelle (Ava Weiss). You can’t blame her, considering the strange machine that’s discovered in his remote cabin. It’s a means for Cole to reach the edge of the universe, but he turns into a mad scientist, experimenting on the innocent.

The second half of this movie really ramps up the horror, after a slow first half. There’s some great body horror and fantastic special effects. Wilson’s Cole is a dark presence, a symbol of power and knowledge gone very, very wrong. He doesn’t raise his voice, but he’s menacing from the moment he shows up, oozing that mad scientist vibe. It’s a classic tale dating back to Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, but this is a cool take on it with a Lovecraftian twist.

It needs to be noted that Slash executive produced the film and did the score. His musical talents up the suspense especially in the gripping latter half. Hopefully, he continues this foray into film, specifically the horror genre. There are also some stunning wide and expansive shots, highlighting the Canadian wilderness and underscoring how isolated Cole’s lab/cabin is. It’s clear whatever goes on there, he wants to keep hush, hush.

Overall, The Breach is an enjoyable Canadian horror film and a clever take on the mad scientist trope. While the character development is a little too flat, the second half is worth the wait. The film builds to a satisfying resolution where all secrets are finally revealed, including a few nasty surprises and creepy monsters.

7 Out of 10