The Tall Man: Filmart Review

The Bottom Line

Great expectations are dashed in a visually arresting but narratively dodgy quasi horror-thriller.

Venue

Hong Kong Filmart, March 20, 2012.

Cast

Jessica Biel, Jodelle Ferland, Stephen McHattie, William B. Davis, Samantha Ferris, Colleen Wheeler

Director

Pascal Laugier

If you spliced the DNA from any entry in the recent Gallic horror wave with the Fox/CW Pacific Northwest school of aesthetics you might get something resembling The Tall Man, a twisting horror-thriller set in depressed and depressing mining town Cold Rock where 18 children have vanished. Executive producer Jessica Biel plays nurse Julia Denning, whose son David is the latest victim.

Pascal Laugier created a stir with his divisive psychological horror Martyrs in 2008 and audiences and distributors looking for more of the same in The Tall Man will be equally thrilled and disappointed. Laugier taps into a similar conspiracy story but without the earlier films graphic violence. And once again Laugier shows off a knack for arresting images but a leaden touch when it comes to narrative. But that shouldnt prevent the film from at least moderate success on the genre circuit and in urban markets given the right marketing. Ancillary success is also likely.

Producer Kevin DeWalt, Scott Kennedy, Jean-Charles Levy, Clment Miserez

Director Pascal Laugier

Cast Jessica Biel, Jodelle Ferland, Stephen McHattie, William B. Davis, Samantha Ferris, Colleen Wheeler

Screenwriter Pascal Laugier

Executive producer Jessica Biel, David Cormican, Gerard Damaer, Thierry Desmichelle

Director of Photography Kamal! Derkaou i

Production Designer Jean-Andre Carriere

Music Todd Bryanton