RED MIST

Ireland, 2008, 82 minutes, Colour.
Arielle Kebbel, Sarah Carter, Stephen Dillane, Andrew Lee Potts, Alex Wyndham, Katie Mc Grath, Christina Chong, Martin Compston, Michael Jibson.
Directed by Paddy Breathnach.

Hospitals are a reasonable location for a horror film (unless, of course, you have to go to hospital yourself). In 2008, there was also a film about hospitals and irresponsible students. This one is less of a horror except that the students torment a fellow student who goes into coma. At the hospital there are some experiments to bring consciousness back to the patient – and, here, when this happens, he takes over other personalities to kill off his tormentors. So, sometimes startling but routine horror. Once director Paddy Breathnach made amusing local comedies like I Went Down and Blow Dry. With Shrooms and Red Mist he has spent too much time with horror thrillers.

1.A horror thriller? American setting (though made in Ireland)? Familiar material – variations on a theme?

2.The hospital setting, the nightclub, the garage, the streets? The woods? Atmosphere for a thriller? The musical score?

3.The prologue, the introduction to Ken, as a child, the keyhole, his mother, her profession, the man, his brutality? Ken and his own dilemmas? The slashing of his legs? The mortuary, the slashing of the corpse? The preparation for the atmosphere of the film?

4.The young doctors, interns, their training? Accompanying the doctor, the discussions? Doctor Harris and his research and his resentments? The atmosphere of the hospital?

5.The celebration in the club, the drinking, the drugs? Ken and his wanting to be part of the group? Sean and his pressurising him, the funnel, the drugs and the drink? The lights? His epileptic fit? The need for a tracheotomy? The reaction of the group? Sean as leader? The repercussions for their careers, the threats? Catherine and her opposition? Jake and his hesitation? The decision, putting the body outside, hoping it would be found?

6.Ken in coma, in the hospital, Doctor Harris? The decision to turn off the life support? Catherine and her intervention? Her reading, her guilt? The information about the drug, forging the signature, getting it from the dispensary? Injecting Ken? The repercussions? Keeping him alive?

7.The role of Catherine, her motivations? Her relationship with Jake? With Doctor Harris? The results of her intervention? Meeting the security guard? His nosebleed? The indicators in the room and Ken’s hyperaction? The guard and his attacking Yoshimi, her death? On CCTV? Used against him? Catherine going to see him in prison – and the word ‘freakdog’?

8.Shelby, Catherine relieving her, her going out to meet Sean? The second time, her nosebleed? Her funnelling the acid and Sean’s death? Ken’s hyperaction?

9.Doctor Harris, his interest, keeping Ken alive? Research? His discovery of what Catherine did? Her confronting him? His not wanting to let go – and his becoming possessed by Ken? His death?

10.Steve, his wife, her being possessed, stabbing him? The baby?

11.Harriet, her defiance? The club? The discussion, her lack of responsibility? Her death in the bath?

12.Catherine trying to warn Jake, his disbelief, Harriet’s death? The CCTV of Catherine killing him in the parking lot? Her waking up in the woods? Her being arrested, the interrogation by Carter? Her escape?

13.Kim and the club, her mutilation, coming in to the members of the club, her collapse, her survival?

14.Her visiting Catherine, Catherine in the institution – and the death of all her ambitions and hopes?

15.The popular ingredients for a horror thriller – its credibility?