Pontypool - Review (2009)

Premise:  A talk radio host receives calls about bizarre goings on in the small town of Pontypool.  Is it a hoax or is the town suddenly going berserk.

Review:   This film was a nice surprise.  I had little clue what I was going to see since the title (which refers to small town in Ontario, Canada) reveals nothing.  Set in a radio station whose current on-air personality seems to have a pretty big chip on his shoulder the story is slowly revealed through the calls he takes.  Each phone provides new information as to just what the hell is going on in Pontypool.  Like the War of the Worlds radio play we learn of the events by word of mouth, the only connection to it all are the phone calls.

The film was reminiscent of the best parts of a Stephen King novel, small town characters with a lot to say, strange scenarios that may or may not be real, a great build up.  The small feel of the films helps to provide and eerie feel of isolation as the small radio station crew sit inside as reports of madness come in.  I loved that aspect.

When more info is revealed the film loses what made it stand out from the crowd.  And although it does lose some of its creepier than creepy feel, it remains worth watching.

Scariness:                3.5 out of 5   Like a good ghost story told around the campfire, it is often just the words that scare you most.

Violence/ Gore:       3 out of 5     Some very bloody scenes.

Story:                       4 out of 5     A nice creepy Stephen King/ Twilight Zone-esque story to start.  The more that is revealed, the l


Overall rating (as a film, not just a horror film):  7.5 out of 10

Check out the rest of the reviews for FilmSnork's 31 Days of Horror here.