After the gruesome death of his sister’s husband, Michael Wolffsen returns home with his fiancee and his recently orphaned nephew to take care of his father Gary. While Michael and his family initially believe that Gary is suffering from symptoms of dementia, they soon discover that Gary has a reason to be scared.

There are families that have their own traditions to celebrate certain events such as Christmas, Thanksgiving, weddings, birthdays, and more. But when the tradition is a bit extreme like wearing an ancestral mark on your skin to later remove it by betraying the family standards, and then by condemned to die for those same acts, they will make family gatherings something to talk about.

Compound Fracture (2014) runs with a title that may not have been the best choice for a film with supernatural elements, but it pulled itself together to stand by it. It begins with the elimination of a member of the Wolffsen family clan for his acts that went against the family itself. What did he do? I have no idea, but I guess it was gruesome. Once this has happened, we are moved several years into the present of the story where we meet Michael (Tyler Mane), Juliette (Renae Geerlings) and Brandon (Alex Saxon) are they’re on their way to the house that watched Michael grow. At home they are greeted by Gary (Muse Watson) the patriarch of the Wolffsen family, who has been presenting various events that denote dementia. Prior to this, it is revealed to us that Brandon is Michael’s nephew, and is in his care after losing his parents in a case of domestic violence. Upon arriving at the house, things start to get bleak for all members of the family: from strange apparitions in the hallways and rooms of the house, dealing with Gary’s situation, to the inexplicable dismemberment of animals outside the house. Something or someone is harassing the family, and it’s not going to stop until all the members who hurt this entity are finished.

It’s a good film; it fulfills all horror needs for the horror geek. Although, it does hold a candle next to any other movie if it comes to competing to see which is best.

Compound Fracture incorporates so many elements that it tends to get confusing from the beginning. Is it about wolves or witches? No. But, it is supernatural. Is it about found footage? No. But, it is explored as an excuse to justify parts of the plot. Is it about a serial killer? No. But, it does have several death scenes that may resemble some of your favorite slashers. Then, what the heck is the movie about? It’s about revenge and the sins that one must pay, eventually.

The acting is superb; it makes you care for each character. Even when the character just appeared for a minute for the sake of a bloodbath, you mourn it with the rest of the cast. And, the music is something else, too. It basically took me back to the days I preferred a studded belt with tight black pants over a  comfortable pair of shorts during the summer heats.

Compound Fracture is horror galore as it builds a cast with recognizable members of the classic’s elite. It takes the basics of the genre to build its production and shows that you can create quality over quantity regardless of the assistance of reputable studios.

 

Compound Fracture
RATING: TV-MA
COMPOUND FRACTURE Official Trailer Tyler Mane - Derek Mears - Muse Watson
Runtime: 90 Mins.
Directed By:
Written By:

About the Author

Brandon Henry was born and raised in Tijuana, Mexico, just south of the border of San Diego. His birthplace is the main reason nothing really scares him (kidding… it’s a very safe place). His love for horror films came when his parents accidentally took him to watch Scream, at the age of 6, thinking that it was a safe-choice because it starred “that girl from Friends”. At 12, he experienced the first of many paranormal events in his life. While he waits to be possessed by the spirit of a satanic mechanic, he works as a Safety Engineer and enjoys going to the theater, watching movies and falling asleep while reading a book. Follow him on Instagram @brndnhnry and on Twitter @brandon_henry.