You can’t keep a good mistress down.
The new horror indie “Killing Ariel,” out on DVD June 16, follows a cursed family and one very stubborn sexpot.
“Ariel” takes an assortment of familiar plot elements, from the mentally confused protagonist to a femme fatale whose beauty beguiles the hero, and makes them feel positively fresh.
But don’t worry, gore hounds. Plenty of blood spills along the way.
The story opens with the violent demise of a couple, a double slaying witnessed by their young son, Rick.
Flash forward a few decades and Rick (Michael Brainard) is now a happily married man who doesn’t feel the need to stray from his beautiful bride.
That changes when he meets Ariel (Axelle Grelet), an exotic beauty more than eager to spend a weekend with him at a remote vacation home. Rick just can’t say no to Ariel, and when he starts having nightmares about his actions he writes them off as guilty hallucinations.
But the frightening images keep piling up, and suddenly he has the urge to take out his new mistress – permanently.
“Killing Ariel” plays fast and loose with its time line, and a few of the repetitive scenes between Rick and Ariel put an undue strain on the narrative. Yet the movie charts its own peculiar course right from the opening scene, avoiding easy labeling and keeping the audience guessing.
It’s neither full on horror nor a psychological study. Instead, it’s a savvy combination of the two.
“Killing Ariel’s” jet black humor and disturbing imagery, marks another example of an indie horror film delivering creepier moments than the big-budget competition.
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