Writer director Anthony Thornton-Hopwood delivers an interesting, often amusing sci-fi horror comedy with Bad Things. Here we follow a group of smartphone-tethered teens as they are forced to “enjoy” a weekend in the English countryside. Little do they know that an AI virus has escaped from a nearby lab, turning victims into hosts for its deadly plans for a portion of mankind. While the movie runs a bit long, and there might be a few too many characters vying for screen time, this is a worthy addition to the sci-fi-horror-in-the-woods cannon.
Trevor (Joe Warriner) and his brawny son Max (Oliver Asante) are charged with leading a reluctant group of kids through the countryside to stay at a cabin deep in the woods. The goal is to reconnect with nature. But something more artificial is waiting for them. Among the group is Xena (Megan Oxtoby,) a social media-obsessed girl, the irrevere4nt and far too cool Polly (Tegan Askey,) Snarky Ben (Sam Powell), dopey but well-meaning Tony (Harry Ball,) and the sardonic and perpetually inconvenienced Rosie (Amey De Souza.) Thanks to a cold open, we know that a highly transmissible virus has escaped from a nearby military facility. One that takes over its host and mimics their behavior. The only tell tale sign that anything is wrong is the neon green tint the hosts eyes take on. That and the murder, of course.
Things start to go awry, and as night falls, the group barely makes it to the one-room cabin that is stocked with bunkbeds. With no real way to connect with the outside world and two of their group already under the influence of a mysterious, lime green influence, the group must wait it out until sunrise. Who will get infected next? What is transmission? Is it a bite? Is it blood? We begin to focus on Rosie who, is the emo-pragmatist of the group. She seems to spot the patterns and can hopefully offer guidance and a way out.
Thornton-Hopwood’s rich knowledge and love for the sci-fi horror genre is here. It’s a veritable blend of influences including such classics as John Carpenter’s The Thing, Shawn of the Dead, 28 Days Later, and even Star Trek. Eventually we meet reclusive prepper Greta (Jessica Skidmore) who explains a bit more about the danger the group is facing and possibly a way to fight it.
The seemingly breezy script is actually densely packed with thoughts on device dependence, tribe mentality, bio-engineering, and the general breakdown between generations. The problem is that Thornton-Hopwood has a hard time knowing when to commit something to a scene or when to suggest it as a theme. What’s there is all there on screen. We are not trusted to pick up on a subtext. Thankfully the characters are interesting enough to watch when we are being spoon fed key points.
Another thing I have to mention is that there were a handful of fun performances that kept things afloat. Warriner is hilariously endearing as the bumbling adult in the room, hoping to convince his troupe that nature is cool. Ball’s Tony is a great counterpoint to De Souza‘s far too knowing Rosie.
Toward the close of the film the energy picks back up and we see the myhem that Anthony Thornton-Hopwood was going for. He would have been better off refining the idea, focussing the commentary, and trimming the action to the necessities. Still, for what it’s worth, there are a lot of good things in Bad Things.
