Jacob (2011) – Where Innocence Ends, Vengeance Begins

Yell! Magazine’s review of Jacob:

Jacob is a ghost story, or at least that’s what writer/director/co-star Larry Wade Carrell told us before screening the film. I can definitely see how this film could be described as a ghost story, but there’s so much more to it that lumping it in that genre seems very limiting to its scope. If I were Larry, I’d be much more inclined to say that Jacob is a kick-ass horror flick.

I was in awe after viewing Jacob. Maybe it was because the cast and writer/director were present. Maybe it was because I felt like I was in the know about something special. Maybe because Jacob is the type of film that captures what it is that we liked about movies when we started watching movies. Whatever the reason, Jacob is a less-than-perfect movie that successfully strives to be more than your average genre film.

I say that Jacob is less than perfect only because a lot of the dialogue is forced and some of the situations are fantastical, but all that is part of this film’s charm, which makes it endearing and addictive. I totally loved it and nearly wet myself from my excitement.

SPOILERS AHEAD

While the title character (played by Dylan Horne) hears voices in his head, he isn’t alone, as his little sister, Sissy (Grace Powell), hears the same voices. We also learn that their deceased father heard the voices as well. More than that, one of the main messages of Jacob is that we all have internal voices. Thankfully we also have a Sissy, which is our conscience that directs our conduct. But, Jacob explores what would happen if we ignored or lost control of our conscience. The outcome is chaos, destruction, and a whole hell of a lot of blood. Seriously, imagine what the traffic report would be like if we all acted on that road rage so many of us feel.

In it’s opening minutes, Jacob gives us a glimmer of what Speilberg, Tobe Hooper, and Ridley Scott, among many others, were so adept at giving us in the late ‘70s and ‘80s. What I’m talking about is the sense of belonging experienced by the audience. When a group of boys coax one of their own into approaching the old, rundown home formerly occupied by Jacob, the audience is instantly a part of the group and the story. And when the local sheriff (played by writer/director Larry Wade Carrell) intercepts the boy (his friends took off at the sight of the approaching squad car) the story of Jacob begins.

It’s also worthwhile to note that you, as an audience member, don’t feel outside of Jacob and Sissy’s relationship. The two actors created such a chemistry for their characters that it absolutely works, draws in the audience, and creates pathos (I knew high school would come in handy one day).

See our interview, more pics, and the verdict on Jacob (2011) after the jump…

Yell! Rating (x/5 Skulls):
Year Released:: 20 April 2012
Director:: Larry Wade Carrell
Cast/Crew: Larry Wade Carrell, Grace Powell, Dylan Horne, Krystn Caldwell, Michael Biehn
Genre: Horror, Slasher
Official URL:: Jacob