When I looked at the box for Gnaw, my first thought was “Ew. I have to watch this?” followed closely by “mmm, pie.” Surprisingly, it was decently watchable. The story is pretty simple. Six friends go on vacation together to Blackstock Farm, located in the middle of nowhere. Part of the way through the trip, they begin to get picked off one by one and brutally murdered by the Slaughterman. He then grinds them up to be baked into pies that will be eaten by the next group of visitors, or should I say victims?
While not exactly the most original of concepts (ever seen Sweeney Todd?), the construction of the story is undeniably up to par. Set in the English countryside, the scenery is gorgeous, and the characters are realistic and complex. The cast members are definitely selected for their acting skills rather than their faces, unlike most slasher flicks. As a matter of fact, the writer was so focused on building up the plot that (gasp!) only one person dies in the first half hour. The lack of “violence for the sake of violence” is refreshing and adds to the suspense. There is definitely some heavy duty gore, but only what is necessary to push the plot forward - though it does seem a tad unrealistic at times. Never having seen anyone’s abdomen ripped open, I can only assume the gushing blood was over the top. And parts like the scene where the Slaughterman puts a leg through a grinder is enough to make me glad I’m a vegetarian.
Some of the story is pretty predictable. For instance, everyone knows that the slutty chick is always the first one knocked off. It would have been nice to see something a little different here. Other aspects are rather unexpected, like the Slaughterman’s fascination with Lorrie, the lonely Goth girl along for the excursion. It even had some important and rather surprising messages. Life lessons like “stay out of the country,” “meat is for murderers,” and “people who look creepy usually are” can all be gleaned from this movie.
The film is relatively short, with about an hour and ten minutes of action. While this is quick enough to keep my full attention and provide adequate pacing, I feel that the brevity is a bit detrimental to the movie. The viewer is left with a ton of questions. For instance, not all of the characters’ fates are sealed at the end, and it would be nice to know what became of those who are left standing. Also, why don’t the cops realize that all the people who vacation at Blackstock Farm disappear...surely someone knew where they were headed? And why does everyone who runs away from an approaching vehicle decide to stay in the car’s path instead of running for the woods. I’d love to get some answers, but for now, I’ll settle for a piece of pie - hold the human flesh, please!
DVD Bonus Features
The only special features this disc has to offer are the trailer (boring) and a featurette documenting the movie’s origins entitled "Humble Pie: The Making of Gnaw". >This was fairly standard. I found it a bit more interesting than I usually do, as this was an independent British film, and everyone had very nice accents. This also explains the lack of deleted scenes and other featurettes.
"Gnaw" is on sale October 13, 2009 and is rated NR. Horror. Directed by Gregory Mandry. Written by Michael Bell. Starring Hiram Bleetman, Carrie Cohen, Nigel Croft Adams, Sara Dylan, Gary Faulkner, Rachel Mitchem.
