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You have to respect the workmanlike filmmakers who keep working in our beloved horror department. Say what you will -- be it kind of critical -- of the films of Adam Gierasch and Jace Anderson. but there's always something to be said for indie-friendly horror freaks who simply keep churning out the movies. (Their better efforts include Autopsy (2008) and their early and underrated remake of The Toolbox Murders from 2004, although Mortuary, Night of the Demons, and Fertile Ground have their fans as well.)
And hey, the latest collaboration between Gierasch (director) and Anderson (co-writer) is a solid little combo of good ol' occult-based horror nastiness and an appreciable dose of downbeat film noir moodiness. While it has a few solid moments of straight scares and impressive gore, Fractured works best as a low-key character piece that feels like a respectful homage to The Outer Limits or Alan Parker's Angel Heart. Probably both.
Dylan (the excellent Callum Blue) is trying to piece his life together after spending time in a coma. He remembers very little about what put him in the hospital, but he's fairly certain he's done some bad things. The police don't have Dylan's fingerprints on file, which leaves him to work through his mysteries with little besides the guidance of a very devoted girlfriend (Ashlynn Yennie) and his own instincts.
Suffice to say that Dylan quickly pieces a few clues together, only to realize that, yep, he once worked side-by-side with a ferocious murderer who makes his living through human trafficking. So while Fractured is not exactly a plot-heavy affair, the viewer can certainly enjoy piecing the story together alongside Dylan. (An astute viewer will be a step or two ahead of our long-suffering protagonist, but it doesn't spoil any of the payoffs.)
In addition to Mr. Blue's quietly commanding lead performance, there's also strong support from Ms. Yennie (in the early segments) and Nicole LaLibertie (as a free-spirited stripper who opts to help Dylan find some answers), as well as a colorfully evil performance from the always intimidating Vinnie Jones -- but this is Callum Blue's film all the way. He makes the better scenes shine, and he helps to make the slower spots work a little better. Anderson and Gierasch's screenplay has its own merits, but it's Blue's performance that keeps the story cooking.
And, not to be gross about it, but this flick delivers one of the most impressive (practical effect) murders I've seen in a while. It's so dark, disturbing, and visually powerful that it allows one to overlook some rather egregiously cheap CGI gun play that pops up later on.
