COLLECTOR'S CRYPT - WHAT THE WATERS LEFT BEHIND: SCARS (CLEOPATRA ENTERTAINMENT)
One of the most common complaints lobbed at the horror genre is how “derivative” it can be. It's an interesting criticism, because most things, especially art, are derivative. No new creation is void of inspiration, and both consciously and subconsciously we draw on things we already know to manifest something novel. Some of the best horror movies are based on books and/or based on other movies. There is HALLOWEEN without BLACK CHRISTMAS, and no FRIDAY THE 13TH without BAY OF BLOOD. Being derivative isn’t the dig some would like to think it is, and it isn’t always a badge of honor either. The genre thrives off of innovation, even if the core story elements are nothing new it is how they are presented that invites us in to enjoy. And let’s be honest, if we always wanted something new and different we wouldn’t collectively worship the same groups of franchises now would we? Today’s edition from the crypt comes by way of CLEOPATRA ENTERTAINMENT with one of the longer titles we’ve seen, WHAT THE WATERS LEFT BEHIND: SCARS on BLU RAY. Do these waters run deep with dread or are they shallow and unscary?
WHAT’S IT ABOUT?
An Anglo-American indie rock band ends up stranded in the desolate city of Epecuén. Their conflicts between themselves and their bad luck are quickly forgotten when they begin to discover the bloody hell that awaits them.
HOW IS IT?
Apparently, WHAT THE WATERS LEFT BEHIND: SCARS (henceforth referred to as “SCARS”) is a sequel. This kind of explains the extremely long title, and it goes without saying that I became aware of this as I am writing this review and haven’t seen the first film. The great thing about SCARS is that you don’t really have to have seen the first one to get everything out of this one as it stands firmly on its own. While SCARS feels oddly familiar to another film about a hard rock band, it matches its lack of originality with an equal and greater measure of well-paced and high-octane violence.
If the plot sounds a lot like GREEN ROOM, it is. Instead of a punk band, we have a black metal band, and instead of a bunch of Nazis, we have a town of depraved cannibals, a tale as old as time. The comparisons to other films don’t stop there as SCARS is deeply indebted to THE TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE almost down to the scene at parts, and yet, none of this is a bad thing. SCARS, whether it is aware of this or not, seems content to borrow these elements and present them with new wrapping that mostly succeeds by focusing on breakneck pacing paired with squirm-inducing sexual violence and grisly practical effects. SCARS starts with just the right amount of setup before it drops you into the worst-case scenario for this group of metalheads. The film wisely doesn’t let up for most of the remainder of the runtime and doesn’t let you catch your breath long enough to get caught up in how familiar a lot of it feels.
Part of what captivates is the fantastic cinematography and technical aspects of the film. From the amazing location and landscape scenes to the dimly lit dungeons below everything about the look of the film works in service of holding your attention. The location cannot be understated and is reason enough to justify a film here, so it is understandable why the filmmakers wanted to revisit this place. The landscape is just as much a character as the cast, who all do an outstanding job of conveying respective fear and fiendishness in accordance with their roles. Really, the most critical thing one could say about SCARS is that it is a “copy/paste” job, and that wouldn’t be entirely untrue. It does enough to stand on its own, but not enough to divorce itself from obvious inspiration, which we can assume SCARS wears proudly considering how thick so much of it is layered on. For fans of the “torture-porn a la TCM” style of horror, this is an easy recommendation, and for all others there is still enough fun to be had in a short enough time to give it a shot!
HOW DOES IT LOOK?
SCARS is a 2022 production and looks absolutely breathtaking on blu ray. CLEOPATRA ENTERTAINMENT presents the film in 1080p HD with a 1.78:1 widescreen aspect ratio. The color balancing, especially in the darker scenes is quite good so you can still see enough without taking away from the mood and the reds are vibrant during some of the more intense gore scenes. Images from the disc are used throughout this review and below:
HOW DOES IT SOUND?
Much like the visuals, the audio for the film is crystal clear and packs a punch. The industrial techno and metal soundtrack blend nicely with the scenery and intensity of the film. The film has a 5.1 DTS-HD surround sound mix included on the disc along with English subtitles and for the most part, the full spectrum of the speaker channels gets a decent workout.
ANYTHING SPECIAL?
There were no special features to review on this release of note. Included are the following:
Trailer
Image Slide Show
LAST RITES
SCARS is a fun, fast, and ferocious film that provides a lot of entertainment and brutality, as long as you don’t discriminate against the derivative nature of its story and characters.
THE GORY DETAILS
Thank you to the fine fiends over at MVD ENTERTAINMENT for providing a review copy for the crypt! What the Waters Left Behind: Scars is available NOW and can be purchased via MVD DIRECT!
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