‘Staying inside doesn’t mean you are safe’
Isolation is a 2021 horror anthology comprised of nine distinct tales of terror weaved together by filmmakers from around the world. It is the story of isolated citizens around the world as they confront their darkest fears in an attempt to survive an increasingly deadly outbreak…
Blurb:
As a narrative framework, director and producer Nathan Crooker created a fictional world many months into the future that is based around the current global pandemic. All eleven filmmakers used the same unifying framework in creating their stories.
The filmmakers were tasked with how to stay creative using only what was available to them at the time. They were not allowed to use Zoom or any other video conferencing services and were only allowed to use the equipment and resources they had with them when they entered into lockdown, including cast and crew, adhering to their respective COVID-19 protocols.
Isolation features nine segments directed by the filmmakers: Dennie Gordon (Jack Ryan, Legion, Hunters, Waco), Larry Fessenden (The Last Winter, Habit, Depraved), Bobby Roe (The Houses October Built 1 & 2), Andrew Kasch (Tales of Halloween), Zach Passero (Wicked Lake), Christian Pasquariello (Alien Invasion: S.U.M. 1), Alexandra Neary (The Innocent), Alix Austin and Keir Siewert (Retch), Kyle I. Kelley and Adam Brown (The Music Lesson). Produced by Nathan Crooker and James P. Gannon.
Reviews:
“The real-world parallels scream from each story, from 5G and It’s Inside, which take aim at conspiracy theories, to the aching sense of loneliness that seeps out of both Gust and Meat Hands. These films all offer experiences and circumstances that many of us can relate to on some level, and despite its obviously fictitious form, Isolation makes a compelling watch that really strikes a chord.” The Hollywood News
“Every segment in Isolation is a good little chunk of horror, and as a whole, it takes us on a crazy depressing ride. If there is one thing to say about Isolation, it is that it is one of the most poignant and important pieces of political commentaries since Get Out. Isolation does for COVID-19 what Jaws did for the water.” Horror Obsessive
“There’s a sameyness of tone, probably inevitably, as a succession of short films feature lonely, alienated characters going quietly or loudly off their nut in fairly comfortable-looking surroundings […] Some segments click, others flit by without making much of an impression. However, the long-term issue […] is that it has to compete not only with other movies but with our own experiences…” The Kim Newman Web Site
” …although themes and tone vary from short to short the pandemic remains the hub that connects them together. As such this comes with a word of caution: in a time when so many people have experienced so much real-world loss these shorts can be incredibly upsetting, the film not offering as much escapism as other genre offerings can.” Moving Pictures Film Club
“It’s often the case with anthology horror movies that you get a very mixed bag in terms of quality and Isolation is no different […] There is some entertainment to be had from four or five of these shorts so it’s just about worth checking out. It does show that horror directors will find a way to make movies, whatever is going on in the world.” Nerdly
“Inevitably all these shorts, with their different provenances and styles, form disparate fragments of an epidemic apocalypse, but they are unified both by their thematic coherence and by some narrative threads that have been woven across the mosaic of the movie. What happens in one episode is heard on a news report in another, there are invisible connections between online conspiracy theorists across the world, and an international rescue vessel passes from rumour to reality.” Projected Figures
“There are some who will find Isolation heavy going and too emotional, particularly if they’ve lost someone to the virus. It could even be too soon to fully process the short stories included in the film, but they’re a reflection of what people have had to go through. It’s a grim, often disturbing watch and very well made. Approach with caution.” Starburst
Release date:
Isolation will be available to watch On-Demand on November 2, 2021.
Technical details:
104 minutes
Trailer:
