Den
A serial killer, Den (Greg Arce) kidnaps four people – three women and a man. They eventually come round to find out to find themselves chained to the walls of his basement.
A couple of things struck me about Den. The first is that it is very episodic in nature. Each morning, Den comes down to the basement and starts to needle the characters into revealing details about themselves – details that, in the most part, they’d rather not have to reveal.
As he forces this information from his victims it emerges that they were not kidnapped at random but that their lives are intertwined in ways that Den has discovered through obsessively observing them.
The second thing that stuck me, and this was near the end of the film, was that it is very much like a play. I don’t know whether Arce has a theatrical background – a quick check of his site reveals only that he started out as a professional magician - but it wouldn’t surprise me if he did. The film takes place largely in Den’s basement and its progression is very much driven by the dialogue of the characters – not surprising really since they spend much of the time chained to the wall and out of reach of each other.
As such, it’s a testament to the strength of the script that the film remains so gripping.
Each twist and turn of the victims’ relationships, both with each other and with Den, is meticulously dripped out with each revelation leaving you painfully aware that there is more to come.
The religious beliefs of the characters are central to the revelations they are forced to make and each character represents a different archetype – the hypocrite (Lee Schall), the follower (Stephanie Rettig), the believer (Sabrina O’Neill), the atheist (Dana J. Ryan) and Den, the fanatic. It’s the conflicts between the characters’ beliefs, as well as their own internal conflicts, that provide much of the tension of the film.
These conflicts also allow Arce, the director, to explore the subjects of belief, religion and responsibility which form the film’s central theme.
Although the characters are very well drawn, with each revelation adding to their depth, their believability is strengthened by the consistently strong performance of the cast, especially Dana J. Ryan who, as the atheist, Cassandra challenges not just Den’s convictions but also those of the other victims.
Den has a powerful and rock solid script, is excellently acted and poses some thoughtful questions on the relationship between belief and religion. If only more films were made this way.
Sunday 20 Apr 2003 | Paul Pritchard | Drama, Horror
Worst film I’ve ever seen.