DIRECTOR Adrián García Bogliano WRITER Eric Stolze STARS Nick Damici; Ethan Embry; Lance Guest SCREENING Today at 11.00, 12.45 & 15.30
Opening with great promise, Late Phases wastes no time in establishing its raison d’être, as Ambrose, a blind, cantankerous war veteran, moves into a retirement complex only to encounter a large, dog-like beast on his first night. Informed that there are incidents on a monthly basis, our antihero comes quickly to the conclusion that the problem at hand is lycanthropic in nature, taking it upon himself to use the next 30 days to prepare for the next attack.
And this is where Late Phases fails. Initial scenes imply a lively affair, however the second act firmly slams on the brakes to slow-burn its way via interpersonal drama to a riotous climax. It is a confused clash of style that, while a noble attempt at adding layers to a traditional werewolf yarn, feels inappropriate for a script that holds more confidence in its comedy-horror; the characters are not drawn quite vividly enough to bolster their politics. As such, the middle section drags a little, and if not for Nick Damici’s excellent turn as Ambrose, attention would stray. It is just as well, then, that the inevitable showdown is a hoot — the jury is out on whether the werewolf costumes were intended to be as hilarious as they are, however — although it is disappointingly short. Overall, a throwaway experience that could have done well to have spent more time in development.
