Chaos (2005) - Film review

I recently stumbled across David DeFalco’s 2005 horror flick CHAOS on Sky. As I watched the scenes of kidnap, torture, and degradation, I couldn’t help thinking that I’d seen it all before. The story is oh so familiar. Anyone who has seen Wes Craven’s 70’s cult classic THE LAST HOUSE ON THE LEFT will know the story. Anyone who has seen Dennis Iliadis’ 2009 remake will not only know the story but will have seen it done far, far better. Fans of brutality and gore will love the harrowing, almost pornographic scenes of torture. True horror fans, however, will be disappointed in this blatant, unoriginal copy, which is badly acted and has little substance to gel the afore-mentioned scenes together.

When friends Emily and Angelina (Chantal Degroat and Maya Barovich) head to a rave in a nearby wood, we are already anticipating how they will meet their grizzly end. After running
into a stranger named Swan (Sage Stallone) they agree to follow him to a secluded shack on the promise of scoring some ‘E’. It is here that the girls come face to face with Swan’s Gang; His father, Chaos (Kevin Cage), a severely unhinged and sick individual along with his twisted girlfriend Daisy (Kelly K.C. Quann) and their equally unsavoury friend, Frankie (Stephen Wozniak).

The girls are subjected to some pretty horrendous and degrading torment, and it is abundantly clear that the outcome is going to be anything but pleasant.

These scenes are pretty well made, the gore is realistic and the girls’ screams somewhat believable. Where Chaos falls flat is the dialogue, which is predictable and unimaginative; also the fact that its reliance on these barbaric scenes of torture is absolute. These is no depth to the acting or the story, there are timing issues, and more ‘oh, for god’s sake’ moments than I cared to count.

The whole story was a complete rip-off of Last House on the Left, including the ad campaign. A poor copy, with the exception of the ending which was pretty dismal and not as powerful as obviously intended. The music score and lighting added nothing to the whole experience and although the special effects were above par for a low budget film of this genre, they could never do enough to lift Chaos above the many, many mediocre offerings out there.

I like my horror to be creepy and sinister, to keep me guessing, and glued to the screen. I want butt-clenching, nail-biting, heart-pounding, tension and when I go to bed, the need to sleep with the light on!! Chaos was none of these things. It was barbaric and nasty but nothing more.

CHAOS (2005) Director: David DeFalco, Writer: David DeFalco, Cast: Kevin Cage, Sage Stallone, Kelly K. C. Quann, Stephen Wozniak, Chantal Degroat, Maya Barovich.

Buy the DVD (U.S import)