Brianna Geiger says The Chamber of Terror is a hilarious revenge horror-comedy with no shortage of blood, guts, and gore.
Don’t seek revenge on a cursed family. THE CHAMBER OF TERROR is a Canadian revenge horror-comedy written and directed by Michael Pereira (Dillenger's Diablos). It first premiered in Canada last year at The Blood in the Snow Film Festival. The film is Pereira’s second feature-length and his second venture into the horror genre. It begins with Nash Caruthers (Timothy Paul McCarthy) nailing Tyler Ackerman (Seth O’Shea) into a wooden coffin alive as punishment for his assault on two women. A month following, two thugs for the Ackerman crime family, Lennox (Ry Barret) and Casey (Sigourney McAuley), nab Nash from his apartment. Nash is taken to the family’s torture facility, The Chamber of Terror, where Dr. Killian (Ian Dyck) awaits his arrival. The film also stars Jessica Vano, Derek Gilroy, Storm Steenson, Ian Goff, and Steve Kasan.
The performances had me bursting with laughter. McCarthy portrays Nash as an intensely sarcastic asshole, making every second of my viewing worth it. Even as the victim of a notorious and murderous family, he dares to criticize everyone at every chance he has. When Nash and Lennox are alone together in the chamber, their tension is horrifying and entertaining. McCarthy and Barret bring the film’s inherent absurdity to another level in that scene. Lennox gives a spiel about his love of horror and how he discovered his taste for gore. Barret’s delivery is entirely over the top. Nash sits and listens coolly, making the scene even more amusing.
"The Lord giveth. The Chamber taketh away."
Christopher Guest’s edits combined with Michael Jari Davidson's skillful cinematography enhance the film’s comedic moments. Each scene contains various unique shots with sporadic cuts in between. One of the most amusing moments follows the film’s opening. Our perspective is from inside Nash’s refrigerator, and we watch as he puts boxes of beer inside. Expecting to go to a different scene, we are pleasantly surprised to see him open the fridge again to jostle the beer around in a fit of rage. How this scene is filmed and edited had me bent over laughing.
THE CHAMBER OF TERROR is a unique viewing experience. It’s a ridiculous and fun film. The hilarious revenge horror-comedy has no shortage of blood, guts, and gore. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but give the movie a shot if you’re in the mood for light-hearted horror.
