Why can't so many indie filmmakers get it right? It's not entirely a question of budget. Behemoth was made for just under $70,000, and I have seen far better moves made for less (Clerks, anyone?) Behemoth, the directorial debut of VFX digital artist Peter Sefchik, proves that although you may be a true talent in your original field, it doesn't mean you should direct a feature film.
Behemoth is a weird mish-mash of a standard thriller with supernatural undertones, delving into true horror. "Joshua Riverton (Josh Eisenberg) spent ten years working for the global chemical behemoth, notorious for Its environmental negligence. When his daughter develops a mysterious illness, he steps forward as a whistle-blower, throwing his life into chaos." This leads to a farcical kidnapping of company scientist Dr. Woeland (Paul Statman) and now he and his friends are on the run with their hostage, as a drugged and unstable Joshua demands answers, and his grasp on reality unravels.
The movie is really bizarre, like a bad trip. It's visually interesting, but still a hard watch. It's all over the place. The plot becomes overly confusing. The interesting idea that we don't know if it's real or all in Joshua's head is not really fully explored. His obsession with conspiracy theories gets uncomfortably blended with the director's social-political message about environmental pollution and exploitation. This social commentary message is ill-fitting in this suspenseful horror movie. The effect is jarring. It may have worked if it was not so predictable. This movie holds no surprises.
Another problem for me was the acting. It was weak at best. One bright spot was Paul Statman as Dr. Woeland, or as my boyfriend put it, "That Gandhi looking MOFO". There is something wonderfully strange about his performance as he creepily plays off the other characters’ insecurities.
Now, the meat of this movie, the VFX. The digital monster effects were cool. Peter Stefchik was in his element here. We had some visually stunning moments, but they were lost in the overall effect. There were a few cool body horror moments, and interesting creature effects, but they were drowned out by unnecessary blood and insects. But I did love the deadite goat on the wall. I think some restraint could have been used with the VFX, but perhaps Stefchik did not favor practical effects.
There are far worse movies out there, and anyone who liked this may have their own valid opinion. Bad is still bad even if you enjoyed it. Taste doesn't always trump quality. Behemoth is a bad movie that may have its place on VOD, but I personally cannot recommend it.
Patricia Pirillo