'The Dead Ourside' is yet another of the fatal pandemic leaving few survivors type, this time set in Scotland. Dour and downbeat, it is probably well done but just did not resonate with me at all.
'The Disappeared' is set on a London housing estate where the elder of two
sons is blamed for the disappearance of his younger brother by his father.
He starts hearing voices, meets a girl living in the next flat who persuads
him to visit a clarovoyant. Matters come to a head when his best friend's
sister goes missing and he is led to the rather shocking truth. A mix of
realism and the supernatural comes off well though, as with the preceding
film, I found it hard to relate to the characters.
'Mirrors' is a Hollywood remake of a Korean horror and it shows - high
production values with an in vogue star in Kiefer Sutherland, a nude Amy
Smart (is it written into her contracts?) and brilliant special effects. At the
end of it all, definitely inferior to the original.
Summary: two outstanding films in 'Let the Right One In' and 'Martyrs', some
greatly improved British offerings compared with earlier years and a strong
mix of schlock from the USA made this a solid festival if not quite up to one
or two earlier editions.