Inexchange

Some of our most revered horror filmmakers started out in the ultra low-budget barrel-bottom — let me amend that: that’s how most genre filmmakers got their starts, often wearing work hats ranging from director to DP to gaffer. And they made it; their movies were cult hits and now everyone knows their names. It’s this glimmer of hope that encourages aspiring auteurs to write their scripts, assemble actors, and max out their credit cards securing lights, cameras and what ever else may be required for ‘action!’

I see a lot of these indie movies, and much as I hate to rain on anybody’s parade I sometimes have no choice but to write a negative review (or I don’t write a review at all… that’s when you know I feel really, really bad for the filmmakers). So it is with a sigh of relief that I submit this review of Zack Parker’s Inexchange; the movie is obviously low-budget — and the folks behind it freely admit that — but it’s definitely worth your time.

The film focuses on Maury (Sean Blodgett), a college freshman who is taken advantage of, picked on (not to mention pissed on… literally), and when that’s not happening he’s just plain ignored. Maury doesn’t expect his life to improve, or for it to ever even change… but his expectations are all wrong. His life does change dramatically after being invited to private party by the cool crowd. There he gets to know thee girl of his dreams, blonde beauty Lara (Tiffany Wilson) who is way out of his league. It is also there at the party where he suffers the ultimate humiliation and his avenging angel comes to life. Each of Maury’s “problems” are soon solved, but what happens when there’s no one left to be dealt with? Where will the avenger’s attention be directed, when there is no more blood to be had?

Savvy viewers will draw definite parallels between Brian de Palma’s Carrie and this movie, but there’s a different twist here in that it’s from a male perspective and the supernatural aspects are not as clear-cut until everything comes together at the end.

Despite rather lifeless lighting and questionable color matching, Inexchange looks pretty good: It boasts some very nice perspective shots and interesting segues from scene to scene. Parker’s script is solid, but in my opinion the movie would have benefited greatly from tighter editing. While I understand the need to convey the monotony of the lead character’s dreary existence, there are too many long pauses and ‘talking heads’ scenes. These dead spots are thankfully punctuated by some genuine chills and moments of suspense. The music score is a well done mix of moody classical classics and some eerie original tunes (the film’s composer is J. Andrew Rush, who contributed to The Mothman Prophecies and Rules of Attraction).

The actors are quite good, and the leads are believable enough in their standard roles of ‘the nerd’ and ‘the babe who falls for him’. Blodgett seethes and represses anger with the best of them, bringing to mind the performance of Keith Gordon in 1983’s Christine (although Maury’s transformation is not as dramatic as Arnie’s). As for our writer/director Zack Parker, one can see the Mario Bava influence, as well as touches of Wes Craven and Tobe Hooper’s very early work.

While there is no doubt Inexchange is rough around the edges, it’s exciting to see so much promise in progress. I look forward to discovering what Parker does in his next film, Quench, which is described as a gothic drama that shows an outsider’s perspective of the so-called ‘real vampire’ covens that exist in small towns across the country.

Inexchange is being released by Brain Damage Films domestically this spring. Read an interview with Zack Parker here.

Reviewed by Staci Layne Wilson for Horror.com