d./w. Mark Stirton; p. Michael G Clark; cast: Junichi
Kajioka, Steve Campbell, Fraser Napier, Aria Morrison-Blyth, Barry Thackrey,
Alistair Richie, Lucy Philip, Mark Wyness, Mike Mitchell
Largely devoid of dialogue, this impressive game of cat and
mouse plays out against the stunning vistas of the Cairngorms and offers
something more than just a psycho stalker. UK-based Japanese actor Kajioka
plays an unnamed artist who hikes into the Scottish wilds to camp and paint the
landscape. He is targeted by ‘the Gamekeeper’, a masked and bekilted nemesis
armed with a range of firearms, an RC drone and an unseen (for reasons which
become clear but are, to be honest, fairly obvious) dog. Though never
explained, a splash panel prologue suggests there is some supernatural element
to the Gamekeeper who pursues his quarry at one inexplicable remove, taking him
down each night with a tranquiliser dart and even erecting his tent. There’s
all sorts of weirdness going on here, lifting what could easily have been a
formulaic thriller into gripping, scary, mind-scrambling horror territory. Brian Cox provides brief name-value narration. Stirton and producer/DP Clark previously made ambitious sci-fi epic The Planet
and black comedy One Day Removals.
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