Patrick (2014)

Very Cool!!!

Sadly Over-hyped

There are moments that feel comical, some horrific, and some downright inspiring but the tonal shifts hardly matter as the end results come to a film that's perfect for this time.

One of the film's great tricks is that, for a time, you think it will go down a rabbit hole of unrealistic glorification.

Largely ignored 2013 remake of the little known 1978 Australian psychological thriller! This awkward, self-conscious homage to the original is made even worse by inconsistent acting and the clumsy overuse of not-particularly-good CGI. Walter Dance was somehow roped into a lead role (possibly via blackmail) but not even his commanding presence can mask the appalling stench of this dunger.Shot in a controversial colour palette of teal and brown, Patrick features a Pino Donaggio score, a half-written script, Walter Dance eating a frog, and more B-grade horror tropes than you can throw a dog at.Best line: 'You are a prissy, meddling little bitch who's wasting my precious time, and I would dearly love you to **** off!' Worst line: 'Patrick wants his hand job!'I rate Patrick at 9.99 on the Haglee Scale, which works out as a shocking 3/10 on IMDb.

This is a rather inconspicuous Aussie remake of a largely inconspicuous Aussie 70's cult classic with the same title. Clearly inspired by Brian DePalma's successful blockbuster "Carrie", the 1978 "Patrick", directed by Richard Franklin and written by Everett De Roche, is an uncomfortably tense and truly creepy horror-thriller in which the telekinetic teenage girl is replaced with a telekinetic comatose guy. The film was never really huge, but always popular amongst a selected group of cult fanatics – yours truly included. Thanks to the recent revival of Aussie exploitation cinema and the complementary documentary "Not Quite Hollywood", all these 70's and 80's classics are back into the spotlights and there even came a few remakes. This one comes straight from the gifted Mark Hartley, creator of the aforementioned super documentary as well as "Machete Maidens Unleashed", so I actually had good hope that "Patrick" would be a good old-fashioned and splendid Aussie horror gem. But is it really a good film? Yes and no. I can't deny that I overall enjoyed my viewing and Hartley definitely knows how to create atmosphere and blend all the traditional horror ingredients together. "Patrick" is chock-full of eerie dark rooms, uncanny sound effects, abandoned places and isolated locations. The female protagonist is sweet and vulnerable while the supportive characters are menacing and full of grim secrets. It's a textbook horror movie that makes you jump and look away from the screen at the exact right strategic moments and makes the most out of its familiar subject matter. On the other hand "Patrick" was quite a disappointment, mainly due to the excessive use of lousy special effects and the overenthusiastic shock- sequences that are often just downright ridiculous. Running from her troubled relationship, intelligent young nurse Kathy applies for a resident position in Dr. Roget's clinic for long-term comatose patients. Whilst Dr. Roget conducts unethical and illegal experiments in the basement, Kathy develops a strange bond with patient Patrick. Besides spitting in her face as a sign of affection, Patrick has telekinetic powers and writes possessive messages to Kathy via her laptop. His obsession doesn't stop there, however, and soon he starts killing off the men who come too close to her as well. "Patrick" owes a lot to its cast members. It simply has to be said that the ravishing and multi-talented Sharni Vinson effortlessly carries the entire film, and it's always a pleasure to watch Charles Dance, especially when he depicts a remorseless and self-centered bastard. Peta Sergeant and Rachel Griffiths (known from "Six Feet Under") give good support to the lovely Sharni, but Jackson Gallagher - a bit of an Aston Kutcher clone - doesn't have the same menacing charisma as the actor in the original 70's film. The last fifteen minutes and particularly the climax are over-the- top sadistic, but overall I'd recommend this film to genre fans.

I liked the horror film Patrick very much, but its remake, Patrick: Evil Awakens, is a very entertaining film on its own merits, so I didn't need a "nostalgic filter" to enjoy it. The first thing I have to say is that Patrick: Evil Awakens is that it mustn't be taken very seriously, because its impulsive narrative freely flows between the solemnity and the satire, emulating '70s horror cinema with a beautiful cinematography, sinister architecture and bombastic music, not to mention the over the top drama from the last 20 minutes, when big secrets are revealed and serious decisions are taken in the middle of violent murders and experiments from a mad scientist. In summary, a film which is difficult to classify, but easy to appreciate because of the enthusiasm and dedication with which it was made. And then, we have solid performances from most of the cast, starting by Sharni Vinson, who had left me astonished as the "final girl" from You're Next. In Patrick: Evil Awakens, she brings another credible and enthusiastic work. Charles Dance brings a perfect performance as the twisted genius, giving him a subtext of emotional instability which makes him more frightening than any prosaic villain who is motivated by his mere evilness. The only weak spot of the cast is Damon Gameau, who feels a bit insipid and listless as the gallant. Another negative element is the implementation of a few totally digital scenes which feel a bit out of place in a film which is so respectful of the '70s aesthetic. Nevertheless, I found Patrick: Evil Awakens a very competent remake, and I enjoyed it pretty much, so I consider it worthy of a recommendation.

While the movie takes its name of one of the characters (not just anyone of course), I decided to take the normal name of the main actress. She has a tough job, trying to sell horror, but also being oblivious to stuff taking place around her. She delivers, even at times when the viewer might want to scream at her or other characters for not seeing the obvious.The scare moments (jump scares or others) are pretty decent. While I haven't seen the original though, what I'm hearing, is that this one is superior to it. I can only comment on this one and while not perfect by a long shot, this does more than a decent job selling the horror. Twists and turns included ...