It’s surprising to learn that Oliver S Milburn was only 23 when he wrote and directed The Harsh Light of Day, given that it’s a whole lot more complex and fully-formed than most micro-budgeted British horror movies of the last few years. Most horror directors armed with a similar budget and a few buckets of fake blood are content to throw together a plot-less splatter-fest that appeals only to hardcore gore-hounds. Milburn has aimed much higher with his film, which is clearly a labour of love, and despite the fact that The Harsh Light of Day has numerous glaring flaws he definitely deserves credit for his ambition and desire to create something memorable.
The first and most obvious flaw is that The Harsh Light of Day is a film about vampires. There have been so many films about bloodsuckers made over the last few years that mankind now has a surplus of them that will last generations. We don’t need any new ones to be produced for at least 50 years. Milburn seems to believe that he’s subverting the subgenre but despite the fact that it’s a fairly smart twist on the typical vampire tale it still feels unoriginal.
The story deals with occult writer Daniel (Dan Richardson) who’s just had his first book published. He’s living the high life with his wife (Maria) in an isolated country cottage when their bliss is shattered by a masked gang who murder Maria and cripple Daniel, and capture the whole thing on tape to sell for profit. The wheelchair bound Daniel becomes a bitter shell of a man fantasising about revenge. He’s then introduced to the mysterious Infurnari (Giles Anderson) who promises he can not only make his fantasies reality but make him walk again and make him immortal.
It’s a shame that Milburn chose such a tired genre to explore because he shows a lot of talent both as a director and writer. He’s clearly working with a microscopic budget, whereas most vampire movies are fairly lavish affairs. But, as the Twilight franchise has proven, big-budgets can’t make up for a lack of original ideas. Milburn makes the most of his limited means and has a kinetic and visually interesting directing style that defies the film’s low budget. Unfortunately, he is often let down by the low-rent digital cameras and editing equipment he’s using and sometimes it’s a case of admiring what he’s trying to achieve rather than what he’s actually putting on screen. One outdoor scene has clearly been redubbed and the dialogue is out of synch. And the cinematography is often distractingly slapdash with over-saturated colours and ugly, bleached lighting. It’s flaws like this that make it hard to look past the film’s tiny budget.
Luckily while the film’s budget lets it down; its script gives it a major advantage. Although he’s working in a genre that has been done to death, Milburn is able to flog some sparks of life back into the dead horse. He manages to whip up proper characterisation, real tension and genuine emotion of the kind that haven’t been seen in a vampire film since Kathryn Bigelow’s Near Dark. He also works in some unsettlingly surreal moments and dream sequences that bring to mind The Shining, Rosemary’s Baby and Ben Wheatley’s similarly British and low-budget Kill List. Not that The Harsh Light of Day is anywhere near the quality of those fantastic horrors but it’s refreshing to see a first time horror director with such lofty ambitions, even if he is exceeding his grasp.
Unfortunately he’s relying on some fairly bland actors to bring his script to life. It’s not that the cast are all terrible; it’s just that they seem like they would be more at home in British soaps and aren’t really up to the task of making such an outlandish concept feel at all real.
For you to appreciate The Harsh Light of Day it has to catch you in the right mood. If you’re feeling cynical it would be easy to laugh at its meagre production values and dismiss it as an amateurish effort; in fact many critics have done just that. But if you’re feeling forgiving and can look past its numerous flaws to let it tell its story it’s a rewarding and involving experience. Ultimately I think it’s likely it will be remembered as Oliver S Milburn’s first, faltering feature and that he will go on to bigger and better things.
Overall Verdict: A solid and interesting genre flick that manages to transcend its tiny budget, dodgy acting and the fact that it’s yet another film about vampires.
Special Features:
Short film Speechless’
Interviews with Director
Trailers
Gag Reel
Deleted Scenes
Tips on Independent Filmmaking
Reviewer: Adam Pidgeon