The Hamiltons took a path unused by most horror films of the past thirty years: character-driven plot
Every once in awhile the horror world needs a film to come along and turn established subgenres on their ears. "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer" changed the way American murder films were made, "28 Days Later" gave a new voice to the slow-paced zombie films of the past, "The Blair Witch Project" changed what one could expect from a ghost story, and Korea's "The Host" took everything we knew about giant monster movies and threw it out the window. Now, with deft pacing and subtle hinting, the directing duo known as the Butcher Brothers have changed the face of another well established horror genre. But if I told you which genre it would ruin the impact of the film and undo all the hard work the Butcher Brothers put into "The Hamiltons," one of 2006's best horror films.
The Hamiltons are an orphaned group of siblings that seem to have had a hard time adjusting to life after the death of their parents. Eldest brother David (Samuel Child) has taken up the patriarchal mantle and does his best keeping the family together, when he isn't busy trolling for male hookers that is. Fraternal twins Wendell (Joseph McKelheer) and Darlene (Mackenzie Firgens) grew extremely close after their parents death. How close? Well…we're all familiar with the phrase "Keep it in the family"; I just think the twins might have misunderstood the actual meaning. Possibly the best adjusted of the family is younger brother Francis (Cory Knauf), who aside from his constant need to capture everything on his handheld camera seems to have escaped the bizarre problems afflicting his siblings. Oh, and then there's the unseen thing they keep locked up downstairs in the basement, padlocked behind a chained door. They lovingly refer to it as Lenny, while they shove raw meat to it through a small opening on the door. Just your typical American family, if you're a Manson.
Released as part of the eight-film After Dark Horrorfest that played in select theaters across the country last fall, "The Hamiltons" stood out from the rest of the rather mediocre pack of films immediately. While the other films focused on the well-trod road of gratuitous gore, T & A, or cheap scares, "The Hamiltons" took a path unused by most horror films of the past thirty years: character-driven plot. While "The Hamiltons" directors the Butcher Brothers pay close attention to the unique personalities in their film by showcasing the excellent dialogue and complex character attributes, they don't forget about the horror fans in the audience. Staying true to their name, the Butcher Brothers provide just enough gore to wet any fan's appetite and throw a little nudity and girl-on-girl kissing for good measure.
While all of the acting in "The Hamiltons" is good, the high points occur whenever the charismatic twins show up on screen. The seductive and sultry Mackenzie Firgens is fantastic as the diabolically devious Darlene. Firgens drops lines like "Shut up before I gut you myself" with such flair that it´s like she knew they would end up as a part of horror-fan vernacular. But it's the infectious Joseph McKelheer who ultimately steals the show as the brutally sadistic Wendell. Nobody is safe from his self-consuming, egomaniacal rage, not strangers, not friends, and as proven by the way he smacks poor misunderstood Francis around, not even family.
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[release]20366[/release]