The Bell Keeper review
The Bell Keeper finds itself in a weird tower of low-budget horror movies. It’s definitely not incompetent enough to make for an entertaining farce. Yet it lacks the polish to make it an easy recommendation for all save those who love a decent horror experience done on the cheap.
Things kick off interestingly enough with Hank (Randy Couture, The Expendables) killing some terrified teenagers with an axe. Hank utters a simple phrase before delivering the death blows “You shouldn’t have rung the bell!” It’s an effective opening even if it nestles a little too comfortably into some horror movie in the woods cliches.
We’re off to a new group of potential victims.
Aspiring college filmmaker Holly (Cathy Marks) has her production team all set for her latest documentary — a study of supposedly haunted locations and the gruesome stories behind them. There’s on screen talent Megan (Alexis B. Santiago), Megan’s boyfriend Gabriel (Capri-Antoine Vaillancourt) and Holly’s boyfriend/cameraman Matthew (Mike Manning).
Screenwriters Joe Davison and Luke Genton don’t really explain why the crew needs to bum a ride in Matthew’s brother, Liam’s (Reid Miller) broken down and very old RV. Liam and Matthew have a complicated relationship, but Davison and Genton avoid going the obvious route or milking their strained relationship for silly tension. Instead, they’re actively trying to restore their once close bond.
These character development moments are decent. The cast is fine trying their best to elevate some occasional shaky dialogue, but it’s a horror movie. There’s no need to get too attached to any character.
Since five is pretty short roll of axe fodder, a few more characters get introduced. Brittany (Kathleen Kenny) is searching for her brother, taking the long way via hiking. There’s a reason Brittany is hiking instead of the more efficient means of driving even if the logic isn’t fully sound. A sheriff (Chaz Bono) and a creepy store owner (Bonnie Aarons, The Nun) warn them to avoid ringing the bell. Yep, the same one Hank warned about.
Director Colton Tran has a playful sense with the material with intentional gags that are good for some quick laughs. Bell Keeper gets shakier once the crew arrives at the camp and naturally rings the bell.
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Turns out the bell is situated on the site of an evil sacrifice. Ringing the bell unleashes demons inside anyone that hears it. That’s not a bad premise though it robs the film of suspense. There’s no sense of the chase with the killer taking out one of the victims one at a time. This is more immediate and less intense.
Couture certainly has a big screen presence. He looks like a prototypical 80s hero capable of handling any wild and ridiculous scenario including killing demons.
What Couture lacks however is that undeniable charisma that Stallone, Willis and Schwarzenegger had to spare. Couture comes off too self-conscious as if he doesn’t quite buy into his character or is worried audiences won’t find his role credible. This makes his performance overly cautious as if he’s afraid of coming off silly. Instead, he needs to lean in harder to the action hero stereotype and have more fun with this role.
He’s wearing puffy sleeves and carrying an axe to behead demons. There’s nothing serious about that and if Couture were able to convey having more fun, the entire film would have benefitted.
Special effects are below average. Digital effects are minimal for a good reason and there’s some sloppiness with action sequences. There’s noticeable space when characters strike each other. The makeup team does commendable work with the demonization techniques for the characters.
Miller and Kenny are the true standouts helping to make The Bell Keeper more than a dumb slasher. Their characters are sensible, and the actors have a nice, platonic chemistry making for a fun final pair.
Against the odds, the final scenes manage to take on a somewhat Zombieland tone teasing a potential sequel. And that doesn’t actually sound like a bad idea. With some more money behind it and Couture embracing the madness, there could be a future for this series.
Rating: 6 out of 10
Photo Credit: Falco Ink./Screen Media
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