‘It’s not the end of the world, it’s just the end of the day...’
Sometimes a film comes around that offers a reminder of just how simple cinema need be. Pontypool pretty much takes place in one location. It has a small cast. Barely any practical or visual effects. And yet, it looks great, it’s innovative and mostly effective…
Grant Mazzy (Stephen McHattie) arrives for his shift as a local radio announcer in Pontypool, Ontario, only to find that the people calling in are becoming more and more unhinged. Also present are chilled out technical assistant, Laurel-Ann (Georgina Reilly) and uptight but efficient station manager, Sydney (Lisa Houle).
The premise behind Pontypool is simple but ingenious. It allows for some truly creepy sound design and off-putting performances from both McHattie and Houle ensure that we never really feel settled within this world. It’s tough to get a handle on these characters and so when shit hits the fan in the third act we never really know who we are rooting for. Director Bruce McDonald draws from 28 Days Later, The Thing and and Orson Welles’ War of the Worlds (Pontypool was released simultaneously as a film and a radio play) to create something genuinely unique.
While I can’t imagine sticking Pontypool on as a comfort watch, I thoroughly enjoyed its timeless feel and unusual subject matter – a zombie film with a twist.
