Despite serving as the Rue Morgue company’s president, and coordinating programmes for several festivals and events, Rodrigo Gudiño has found the time to create a number of films that include “The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh”(2012), The Demonology of Desire ( 2010) and the animated “Facts in the case of Mister Hollow” ( 2009)
The Breach (2022) which premiered in the UK at the FrightFest in August 2022, was adapted from the award-winning book by Nick Cutter (The Troop). The screenplay was written by Ian Weir in collaboration with the author and the director.
There is touch of class in this production thanks to the substantial contributions of Guns N’ Roses and Velvet Revolver’s musician SLASH, who was executive producer and also composed and performed the music.
Set in beautiful landscapes with trickling streams and rivers, deep in glorious forests, the powerful opening theme (co-created with Aybars Altay) sets the scene for what is yet to come. Loud and brassy with a strong beat, the music propels us into an unnerving sense of foreboding, despite being deprived from seeing the first victim before the title sequence.
Chief John Hawkins (Allan Hawco) is fed up with the small town of Lone Crow where he never fitted in. He’s off in a week to the city to start a new job, but any hopes of a relaxed final few days are dashed when the grizzly find of a horribly disfigured corpse is found in an abandoned canoe that has floated down the Porcupine River. The pathologist can find no cause of death that makes sense, as the body’s bones are missing and the shredded remains are barely recognizable as a human.
A satchel reveals it is the body of a particle physicist, Dr Cole Parsons (Adam Kenneth Wilson) who left his work at the Swiss Large Hadron Collider at CERN under a cloud. His wife, who has also been impossible to locate, has accused the Doctor of being responsible for the disappearance of their daughter.
Emily Alatalo as Meg
Chief Hawkins discovers from his mountain guide, ex-girlfriend Meg (Emily Alatalo), that she had taken the Doctor and a huge number of boxes with cables and equipment, to a large abandoned cabin in Link’s Creek, one of the most remote areas around.
An emotional love-interest with all its tensions is there from the start as Jacob Redgrave (Wesley French) accuses Chief Hawkins of stealing his girl and then casting her aside.
“You steal my girl then you ditch her!
He makes it clear he is not prepared to forgive him. But needs must and Chief Hawkins manages to persuade his attractive ex Meg to take both him and Jacob up into the hills to the mysterious cabin to try and understand what happened to Dr Parsons.
Their apparently uneventful journey is constantly disturbed by strange, ominous sounds and vibrations, although some normality is maintained while Chief Hawkins can still communicate via his satellite phone to base and his right- hand Deputy Connie Parks (a charismatic Mary Antonini).
Allan Hawco as Chief John Hawkins
At the cabin, the mise-en-scène is suitably creepy. Gudiño avoids false devices, working instead on a slow but constant suspenseful crescendo, beat by beat, till it reaches its gory climax.
Adam Kenneth Wilson as Dr Parsons & Allan Hawco as Chief Hawkins
Gudiño pays a certain amount of homage to HP Lovecraft (1890-1937) the American writer of weird, science, fantasy and horror fiction. In particular for his creation the Cthulhu Mythos. Perhaps author Nick Cutter was also influenced by Lovecraft, for there is an echo of Lovecraft themes, such as the idea of the complete irrelevance of mankind in the face of the cosmic horrors that apparently exist in the universe.
The Cthulhu Mythos , drawn by H.P. Lovecraft in 1934/
This supernatural element becomes clearer as the story develops. Initially it seemed that the horror would emanate from the electromagnetic machines that Dr Parsons had been creating, and how low frequencies can turn human flesh into mush.
But Gudiño takes this further, into an occult and supernatural world of evil, where what is taking place is no accident but part of a plan. There is even a nod to ‘The Invasion of the Body Snatchers’.
The Breach- monster
This film is fairly downbeat for some of the way and it takes time to get going. But it is never dull, we are carried along seamlessly by the convincing performances of the lead characters, including the wife of Dr Parsons’ who appears, still desperately searching for her daughter. She is suspicious as the work they see on the boards, does not make sense to her:
“I worked with Cole for over 10 years, and this is not his work”
The cinematography of Eric Oh (The Fight Machine, Vikingdom) is spot on creating turbulence where there appears to be none and an ominous atmosphere. We are swept along with the interpersonal dynamics that pull in all directions and above all, we care about the characters and their possible fate.
Rodrigo Gudiño and Allan Hawco on set
The special effects (Dylan Griffin & Hidenobu Okawa) are excellent as is the make-up (Daniel Baker, Prosthetics and Creature FX), Chris Cooper (Make-up).
The slower pace of the film, in comparison to some similar productions, means the audience has time to inhabit Gudiño's sinister universe and find what takes place strangely believable.
‘The Breach’ to be released On Demand and Download
Lightbulb Film Distribution is delighted to share the poster and trailer for new sci-fi horror, The Breach. The Breach will be released On Demand and Download in the UK & Ireland from July 10th, and in Australia & New Zealand from July 12th.
CREW: Director: Rodrigo Gudiño/ Writer: Nick Cutter ( book) Ian Weir (Screenplay)/ Producer: Pasha Patriki/ Music: Slash ( opening theme: Aybars Altay/ DOP: Eric Oh/ Editor: Mikaela Bodin/ Sound: Matthew Harrold/ Special FX: Dylan Griffin & Hudenobu Okawa / Prosthetics & Creature FX: Daniel Baker/ Make- Up: Chris Cooper/ Art Director: Joshua Turpin/ Stunt Coordinator & Fight choreographer: Don Stockford
CAST: John Hawkins: Allan Hawco /Connie Parks: Mary Antonini /Jacob Redgrave: Wesley French/ Meg Fullbright: Emily Alatalo / Linda Parsons: Natalie Brown/ Dr Cole Parsons:Adam Kenneth Wilson
