DIRECTOR Anthony DiBlasi WRITER Bruce Wood; Scott Poiley STARS Kelen Coleman; Avis-Marie Barnes; Kevin Alejandro DVD 16 April
Coming from Anthony DiBlasi, the director of the excellent Dread (2009), I fully expected a good time here. While lacking the more effective tension of an all-out psychological approach, favouring that of a thriller, Cassadaga does slightly disappoint — but I can admit this is more taste than anything. Regardless, for a first-time screenplay effort, enough strands are left to ponder to deem writers Bruce Wood and Scott Poiley as worthy of keeping an eye on.
A powerful opening scene, featuring a young boy driven to cut off his penis following mental abuse by his mother, presumes a serial-killing affair of revenge on women. Well, yes… There is also further predictability; no viewer will be surprised on learning who the murderer is, for example. But, thankfully, there is much more to Cassadaga than that. Tip: keep watching as the credits roll.
