An amusement park after dark ought to provide the perfect setting for a horror film. Deserted attractions, empty fairground rides and the unsettling sight of a clown lurking somewhere in the shadows. With the right atmosphere and a little imagination, there’s plenty of potential for some genuinely creepy moments amongst that lot.
Unfortunately, Charlie Shaw’s Revenge manages to squander just about all of it.
Things don’t get off to a particularly promising start. An early murder is so unconvincingly staged, thanks to some questionable acting and equally questionable effects, that any hope of being frightened quickly disappears. It’s an unfortunate introduction to a film that will go on to repeat those shortcomings with depressing regularity.
We then find ourselves in the British countryside, home to Shaw’s Amusement Park, which is preparing to open for the season. Alongside the fairground attractions is a circus, complete with its collection of performers and other employees.
The setting is actually one of the few things the film gets right. The amusement park looks suitably authentic, and there’s a reasonable amount of visual interest in the various attractions and performance areas. Some of the cinematography is perfectly serviceable, too. Sadly, that’s about as far as my praise is going to stretch.
We’re introduced to Marion, the newly appointed manageress, who’s been brought in to oversee operations. Keen to establish her authority, she quickly manages to rub several members of staff up the wrong way. It’s not long before we discover that the park has a troubled history involving its former owner, Charlie Shaw, who lost everything when his loan was unexpectedly called in shortly before the attraction was due to open.
There’s the basis of a potentially interesting revenge story here, but the film struggles to make much of it.
Marion attempts to improve relations with her employees by organising a barbecue, only for the entire workforce to ignore the invitation and hold their own gathering elsewhere. Left feeling rejected, she wanders around the park that evening and catches sight of a mysterious clown watching her before disappearing.
It’s the sort of moment that ought to send a shiver down your spine. Disappointingly, it doesn’t.
Meanwhile, employees are beginning to meet rather unpleasant ends, and it soon becomes apparent that someone is stalking the park. Once again, those sorts of scenes are what we love about horror movies – the mounting tension, the trepidation as we sense a nasty jump scare getting ready to catch us off guard. Sadly, I experienced none of those essential horror movie ingredients throughout the murder sequences due to the flaws already highlighted.
As the bodies start piling up, the remaining staff find themselves trapped in an increasingly dangerous situation. Or at least that’s what we’re supposed to believe.
For me, the biggest problem with Charlie Shaw’s Revenge is the acting. While I wouldn’t suggest that every member of the cast is equally poor, a substantial number of the performances are painfully wooden and amateurish. Ordinary conversations can feel awkward enough, but whenever someone is required to display fear, shock or panic, things become considerably worse.
Characters witness horrifying events and respond with exaggerated expressions, frantic shouting and reactions that rarely feel remotely believable. Rather than becoming concerned for their safety, I found myself increasingly distracted by just how unconvincing it all was.
And that makes it extraordinarily difficult to care about what happens to any of them.
The murders themselves don’t help matters. There’s little in the way of effective build-up, almost no suspense and precious few moments that could genuinely be described as frightening. People are attacked, bodies are discovered and the survivors react with varying degrees of theatrical hysteria.
Then the whole process starts again.
One sequence sees a group attempting to escape the park by vehicle, only to discover that their route has been blocked by a particularly gruesome display. Forced to find another way out, they head towards the woods, where their escape plans are promptly brought to an end.
Once again, on paper at least, this should provide an opportunity for some tension and excitement. In practice, it’s another painfully ineffective sequence, with increasingly frantic performances doing little to convince me that anyone is in genuine danger.
By this stage, I couldn’t have been less invested in the characters or their predicament.
There are also moments involving the mysterious clown that appear designed to be deeply unsettling. One encounter in particular, featuring the sinister figure on a carousel, should probably have been rather creepy. Instead, I found myself wondering whether I was supposed to be frightened or amused.
And that’s a problem when you’re watching a horror film.
To its credit, Charlie Shaw’s Revenge does attempt to introduce a psychological dimension to the proceedings. As the story develops, it becomes apparent that there may be more going on than a straightforward tale of a killer stalking an amusement park.
Without giving anything away, there’s a significant revelation towards the end, accompanied by flashbacks intended to explain what’s been happening.
It’s not necessarily a bad idea, but by the time it arrives, the film has already lost my interest. The revelation lacks the impact it clearly wants to achieve, while the subsequent explanations feel rather laboured.
Even the final confrontation fails to generate much excitement. What should be a frightening climax instead resembles something from an episode of Scooby-Doo, only without the entertainment value.
I appreciate that independent horror films often have limited resources, and I’m perfectly willing to overlook modest production values when there’s an engaging story, convincing performances or a little imagination on display. But a limited budget isn’t an excuse for the almost complete absence of atmosphere or suspense.
Charlie Shaw’s Revenge has a decent setting, some serviceable camerawork and the outline of a story that might have worked in more capable hands. Unfortunately, the poor standard of acting, unconvincing murder sequences and consistently ineffective attempts at generating fear make it a real struggle to sit through.
By the time the credits rolled, I wasn’t frightened, surprised or particularly interested in what had happened.
I was simply relieved it was over.
