Hard money. The topic of medical research has always been in demand in world cinema. Of course, the most widespread it received in the films, where there is a question about the suppression of foci of mass disease such as “Epidemic” with Dustin Hoffman or “Patriot” with Steven Seagal. Also, experiments with viruses and drugs took root well in horror stories about the attack of the walking dead, which was repeatedly proved by the Resident Evil franchise, in each part of which you can see a lot of pseudo-scientific research. However, all such stories are deliberately fabulous in nature and it is quite difficult to believe that this can happen in our world. The first serious swallow in a kind of sub-genre of cinema was “Contagion” from Stephen Soderbergh, in which the fight against a deadly disease is shown with striking documentary. A year after the premiere of the film, filmmakers in England and Canada created two similar projects in which the narrative focused on hermetic research of a variety of innovative drugs, emphasizing the horrific side effects. And if the English “Clinic” combines classic horror and drama, then “Bloody Work” is a youth thriller in which people turn into a kind of zombie. The film was directed by Eric Vostenberg, but his name does not tell you anything. But the cast is simply full of celebrities of the second tier. So the performer of the leading male role, Travis Van Winkle, has already managed to appear in the first Transformers by Michael Bay and the updated franchise Friday the 13th. The female team decorated with its presence Trisha Helfer, a sexy beauty, primarily known for the long-running series "Star Cruiser Galaxy". Well, it is impossible not to mention a small cameo Eric Roberts, traditionally speaking in a negative role. Just do not rush to brand “Bloody Work” a negative because of the participation of Roberts, who in recent years has pretty trampled his own reputation in the dirt and became a symbol of the B-category cinema. This thriller with his participation is still worth attention. And although I can not call the painting by Eric Vostenberg a masterpiece, but you can not call it a waste of time viewing it.
So, the plot of the film introduces us to two students, Greg (Van Winkle) and Rob (John Bregar), who decide on a rather bold action for the sake of a small material reward. The guys are sent to a closed medical research center in order to allow scientists to use their example to assess the effect on the body of a new drug, whose purpose is supposedly to fight allergens. Absolutely not worrying about their health, the heroes join a team of many other experimental people, among whom there are both old people and their peers. Of course, the guys first establish contact with two charming girls, and the dissolute merry Greg and did put his eye on Dr. Wilcox (Helfer), able to melt even the coldest male heart. Nothing foreshadowed trouble for our heroes, but with the first intake of the medicine, mysterious events begin to occur in the clinic. Then one of the patients escapes from his ward warning others about some danger, the elderly man dies almost in the middle of the corridor exactly after the introduction of the drug. But the most interesting thing begins a little later, when it turns out that the developed drug has completely unexpected qualities. As it turned out, it accelerates cell repair. But, as you know, the stick has two ends and on the opposite side is the notorious side effect - bloodlust and uncontrolled violence. So our heroes have not only to fight off persistent doctors, but also to escape from the cursed institution, fleeing from crowds of bloodthirsty monsters, a couple of days ago were quite adequate citizens.
The main advantage of “Bloody Work” is that its action develops rapidly and during the viewing we will not be bored. An important role in this is played by the young actors involved, who conveyed the student enthusiasm of their characters and us. At first, it even seems that the creators present us with a kind of symbiosis from a youth comedy and an adventure film. And this atmosphere continues at least a third of the timekeeping. The director acquaints us with an overly talkative professional tester of all kinds of drugs, whose mind seems to have been clouded for a long time, but at the same time it was he who had the honor to introduce the main characters and, accordingly, you to the course of things. Well, two pretty girls penetrate the narrative, readily accepting signs of attention from newly arrived guys, then you almost do not have to count on suspense. And indeed, medical research fades into the background before sexual attraction to the opposite time. However, in the end, Eric Vostenberg comes to his senses and gradually introduces into his picture the plot gloom associated with the mysterious drug. And just then the main character, Greg, previously somewhat shaded by his deliberately correct and modest friend Rob, enters the arena.
Just a kind of change of the main character, which occurs approximately in the middle of the viewing can not but please, because the creators really led intelligent and modest Rob, as the center of the whole plot. His romantic line with one of the participants in the experiment seemed quite template, as for a thriller with elements of horror, and therefore the chances that careless, sexually preoccupied and completely frivolous Greg will subsequently be transformed and the first in the whole group will suspect something wrong. Travis Van Winkle bravely takes everything into his own hands and becomes the only person who retains sobriety and tries to save a friend from an unwanted transformation. So the creators in an original manner show us that modesty and intelligence do not always guarantee our safety, and carelessness and a great sense of humor in the end can result in swift actions that can save not only their lives, but also those around them.
Of the obvious disadvantages, I want to name nothing but a cheap soundtrack Lee Sanders, instantly betraying the fact that the picture was created for pennies and some of the creators were ready to instantly drown it in the ocean of second-rate home video. In addition, shots with special effects imitating explosions should have been completely thrown out of the production, since they in turn confirmed what the composer wanted to tell us - no one made special cash injections into the project. But it is good that the director still has an undoubted talent, thanks to which most of the minuses were retouched by multiple pluses.
In the end, I want to say that "Bloody work" is a rather tolerable tense thriller, from which you do not expect anything special at first, but after watching you realize that you have familiarized yourself with the not the worst representative of the genre. The creators tried to make their brainchild as easy to digest and dynamic, so that the audience of the picture did not feel depressed. Of course, the tape would not hurt to be a little more dramatic and contain more hard scenes, justifying a high restrictive rating, but the result is perceived quite digestible. So I can wish you a pleasant view.
5 out of 10