First-time director Brendan Haley is not messing around with his first feature Scorch Marks.
This twisted slow-burn relationship horror is designed to get under your skin.
We open on Beckett who is having some twisted nightmares, only to find that the world might be ending around him, with apocalyptic red skies above.
What we find out is that Beckett is in recovery from drug abuse but also some form of PTSD that becomes more clear as the film goes on.
Haley has clearly taken pointers from Hellraiser, even referencing a classic line in the script, but here his horror is a bit more grounded. His ‘monster’ Tiamat looks like a Cenobite that didn’t quite make the cut for the better Hellraiser movies; a truly stunning creation.
Scorch Marks is a meditation on grief and the consequences of bad choices.
While sometimes pacing can be an issue, the performances are excellent and there is catharsis in its conclusion.
If you prefer your horror to dig a little deeper, Scorch Marks is a perfect watch for October.
Scorch Marks is now streaming on Dekkoo.
