The Snare 2017 * * * Stars

Director: C.A. Cooper
Year: 2017
Rated NR
Rating: * * * Stars
Cast: Eaoifa Forward, Dan Paton, Rachel Warren

Three people consisting of a romantic couple and their friend, plan a getaway to an abandoned apartment building. While staying on the top floor, they become trapped and eventually lose all access to food and water. Oh and I almost forgot, the place is haunted too. That's the gist of 2017's The Snare, my latest write-up.

"Snare" is a British horror flick. Better yet, it's riotous psychological horror. The Snare doesn't have an MPAA rating but I'll happily give it an NC-17. Rookie director C.A. Cooper (his only other credits are two short films) doesn't want to delight you. He wants to upset you, to make you feel perturbed and disgusted all at the same time. "Snare's" opening shot consists of a dead animal nestled in a graveyard, covered with flies and maggots. As the movie prolongs, there are then progressions of gratuitous violence, rape, cannibalism, and you guessed it, more maggots. Yikes!

The Snare initially reminded me of stuff like The Shining, Cabin Fever (from 2002), and even this year's The Belko Experiment. I kept thinking, what if Eli Roth and the late Stanley Kubrick managed to be each other's long lost brainchild. Anyway, filmmaker Cooper relies heavily on close-ups, wide angles, numbing long shots, and differing kinds of ominous music. "Snare's" first half (the film's weakest section) has C.A. cutting away from scenes too early, giving the feeling of his plot threads having dangling, loose ends. He then finds his footing, letting The Snare go from happy holiday to truly repugnant nightmare.

The actors featured (Eaoifa Forward, Dan Paton, Rachel Warren) effectively convey a sense of fear and dread. And although "Snare's" ending can be confused and over interpreted, this is still something hardcore fright fans might want to check out. "Snare" starts out slow, with paint-by-numbers fortitude, fidgety editing, and stylistic indulgence. It then turns effectual, becoming its own, macabre entity. There are some uneasy dreamlike sequences involving the main character (Alice Clarke). Also, there's some other, jumpy and hallucinatory moments that The Snare likes to revel in. Be sure to avoid eating chicken while watching this movie. Also, bring an ironclad stomach and don't expect to be actually entertained by what you discern. My rating: 3 stars.

Written by Jesse Burleson