Guns ‘n’ Roses and Velvet Revolver musician Slash has been a life-long horror fan. Arguably one of the greatest guitarists in the history of rock, he now gets to combine both his passions as he ventures into the world of composing for new genre film The Breach. The involvement of such an iconic character is sure to have heads turning, and those heads are in for one heck of a mind-melting experience.
Directed by Rodrigo Gudiño, The Breach is a sweat-inducing swirl of science-fiction, horror, and gloop, and grabs attention immediately. Opening with the sweet sounds of nature and sweeping landscape vistas, the camera quickly hones in on a canoe that appears to be empty. The camera tracks the vessel down-stream accompanied by ominous music where it is discovered by a picnicking family. There’s screaming and horror on their faces, though the audience isn’t privy to the content yet. Cue opening titles.
There’s a reverence with which the opening titles announce themselves. Slash’s opening theme (co-created by Aybars Altay) dominates whatever environment it’s viewed in. The epic opening title theme instantly gets the blood pumping, perfectly setting the scene for the mayhem that will follow. It’s vast, loud, and a supercharged mix of loud bassy drones and spidery guitar squeals. The rhythmic repetition surges on and so does the pinkish, purplish swirls of smoke and cloud that are visualised on screen. There’s a sensation that through these titles the viewer is being propelled into another world, something further felt by the keyhole awaiting the end of the titles. The camera pushes through, the screen goes white, and then the story can properly begin. As opening sequences go, the one found in The Breach transports the viewer back to a midnight movie screening circa the eighties and that is exactly the mindset that one should be in when they begin.
At this point, Chief John Hawkins (Allan Hawco) is introduced. Hawkins is the current Sheriff of the small town of Lone Crow, though is soon about to head off to the city for another job. Whilst working his final few days he is called in to investigate the content of the mysterious canoe. Inside lies a body, a horribly disfigured and deformed body. A body devoid of bones and one that is essentially just a puddle of gooey skin. The effort to create this cadaver pays off as it’ll take a strong stomach to glance upon its visage. Despite the lack of identifying features, the likely identity of the victim is revealed to be that of particle physicist Cole Parsons (Adam Kenneth Wilson). The scientist has spent the bulk of the last year hidden away atop a mountain conducting scientific experiments, and with no alternative, Hawkins decides this may be the source of further insight to the case. Accompanied by his estranged girlfriend and the last person in town to see Parsons, Meg (Emily Alatalo), and the local pathologist, Jacob (Wesley French), Hawkins arrives at the Parson abode and from there on events get tricky.
The Breach takes its time manoeuvring all its pieces into position. After its eerie opening, Gudiño shifts focus to building up the limited cast of characters. The connections between Hawkins, Meg, and Jacob are murkily complex and time is needed to establish the emotional positioning of all involved. Their ties to one another form the foundation of the story to come and they’ll soon be ripped apart. No more will be said on the events themselves, but the end result is a cosmic Lovecraftian tale of mad science with echoes of Clive Barker. Those Barker elements are channelled through the gore, and much like the opening body, will need a cast-iron stomach to endure.
If the description of the opening theme didn’t make it clear enough, the score for The Breach is solid gold. Slash channels his two passions of horror and music to create a genuinely stunning aural journey that is destined for a vinyl release. In addition to the immense title theme, another highlight is the recurring ‘love theme’ that plays whenever Hawkins and Meg are having a moment. It’s all acoustic summery guitar plucked strings that throws back to that classic Sweet Child ‘O Mine. Then there’s the synth heavy end credits song that rounds out the whole audio journey beautifully.
A claustrophobic slice of eighties b-movie science-fiction, The Breach plays to the anticipated tropes well, whilst still slipping in the odd unexpected turn. The Breach borrows a little from Re-Animator, and The Void; playing out like a gonzo lost episode of The X-Files. Exactly the kind of movie that works best loud and with a willing audience, The Breach is set to become a fiendish festival favourite.
The Breach
Summary
An eighties-laden cosmic charged Lovecraftian blend of mad science, gloopy gore, and body-horror.
The Breach was reviewed at Fantasia International Film Festival. The Breach will screen next at Arrow Video FrightFest on Friday 26th August 2022.
