‘Evil lives within these walls’
The Castle is a 2022 South African horror film about a young couple who find themselves trapped in an old abode.
Written, directed, scored, edited by and co-starring Arish Sirkissoon making his film directorial debut. Produced by Sinesipho Makaula. Executive produced by Raj Singh and Arish Sirkissoon.
The LX Seth production also stars Rio Notra, Raj Singh, Shezi Sibongiseni, Tevin Kunene, Sanjay Laljith, Shivaan Moodley and Khushi Parekh.
Plot synopsis:
On their wedding day, Michael and Catherine (Rio Notra) break down in the middle of nowhere. They walk for several kilometres when they discover an old castle. Against her better judgement, Catherine is convinced by Michael to spend the night.
Once she enters the castle, she feels like something is watching her. What she discovers in the castle will change her life forever…
Writer/director Sirkisson commented: “It’s always been important to me to write deep psychological thrillers that are borderline horror. In my personal view, there is nothing better than a great feature with a worthy twist. I wrote this film with many ideas in mind and it came together beautifully in one swift stroke. I know audiences are going to appreciate the attention to detail I have put into this film both on paper and on the screen. This is my directorial debut so I always wanted something special and I think I have achieved this in many forms. The movie itself is a play on frameworks that lead to an intriguing crescendo that leaves you wanting more.”
Reviews:
“Look, I’m all for being confused by gothic horror, but mostly I need a solid plot to start with. That said — the film looks good and the location is great. It just needs a better story to work.” B&S About Movies
“Even though I feel the characters aren’t written that strongly. I did find the truth within the castle to be interesting and would have loved to dive deeper into what goes on in that process. The Castle has such an interesting idea, only for it to lack the suspense it truly deserved.” 3 out of 5, Movie Reviews 101
” …it’s a pretty effective piece of horror cinema with all the suspense and the jump scares in all the right places, plus a pretty unexpected twist that leads into the third act. And while some of the film no doubt is a bit silly, it works in the context of the story. And nice camerawork, solid acting and a rather impressive location make this one pretty cool genre entertainment.” Search My Trash
“The Castle seems to have been an attempt to make an African version of the European gothic films of the 60s and 70s. Our heroine walks down endless corridors in a strange old mansion while robed cultists skulk around menacingly. But this castle has no atmosphere or sense of menace. And there’s no mystery to solve, just characters explaining it all to you.” 1 out of 5, Voices from the Balcony
Trailer:
Full film – free to watch online:
Technical specs:
1 hour 19 minutes
Aspect ratio: 16:9 HD
Release date:
The Castle will be released worldwide on Digital by Terror Films on November 11, 2022.
Notes:
Not to be confused with a 2022 British horror film also named The Castle.
