The
number five generally has positive symbolic significance—five elements, five
senses, five fingers and toes, but there is that pentagram to consider. A
shape-shifting demon-spirit who derives its power from manifestations of fives
follows in that tradition. It turns out Party
of Five could have been a real horror show. A group of hard-partying
college kids learn there isn’t always safety in numbers in Elle Callahan’s Head Count, which opens tomorrow in Los
Angeles.
Evan
is not exactly thrilled to be spending his spring break with his New Agey
tree-hugger brother Peyton, so he jumps at the opportunity to bail for a night
of drinking and smoking with the attractive Zoe and her obnoxious friends. She
actually seems nice, as well as attractive, whereas the others are basically
stock characters. In fact, Evan is not really sure who they all are, which
makes it easy for him to be fooled when the shape-shifting “Hisji” starts
impersonating them.
Technically,
it is sort of Evan’s fault. He invokes the supernatural entity when he recited
an incantation from spooky story website as part of their campfire festivities.
Suddenly, weirdness starts happening. Evan picks up on it first, whereas most
of Zoe’s friends are too drunk, stoned, or willfully oblivious to register all
the redecorating the Hisji does while they are passed.
This
is a rare case where Head Count’s
lo-fi look and texture really works in its favor. The film just has an eerie
vibe baked into it. Callahan also pulls off several seriously freaky scenes,
mostly through the use of clever editing rather than special effects. As a
result, she makes a number of tried and true horror conventions feel new and
fresh again.
Ashley
Morghan is more seductive and vulnerable as Zoe than a horror movie character like
her has any right to expect. She also drums up a fair amount of chemistry with
Isaac Jay’s Evan. Bevin Bru has her moments as Camille, Zoe’s drinks-like-she-has-a-hollow-leg
best pal, but the rest of the revelers largely blend together (possibly by
design). Regardless, Callahan’s mastery of atmosphere is impressive. Viewers
are enveloped in a sense of messed-up foreboding, right from the start.
