Supernatural hospital horror meets psychological thriller in writer/director Michael Winnick’s (Malicious; Shadow Puppets) new feature Disquiet. The result is an interesting but uneven effort that ultimately warrants a watch.
Winnick kicks things off with a nice amount of suspense and mystery as a man named Sam (Jonathan Rhys Meyers) wakes up disoriented in a hospital room and is attacked by an elderly patient who shares the room. Surviving the attack and trying to find help, Sam finds the hospital mostly deserted. Meanwhile, a young woman named Monica (Elyse Levesque) is about to undergo breast enhancement surgery when the faces of the hospital staff turn monstrous. The two meet and try to navigate a way out of the hospital, meeting physician Lily (Rachelle Goulding) and wheelchair-bound Virgil (Garry Chalk), among others, along the way as seemingly dark forces block potential exits.
Winnick infuses Disquiet with a good deal of intrigue as characters meet and try to determine who they can trust, with some having met under unfortunate circumstances before entering the hospital. Paranoia, the enigmatic occurrences in the hospital, and the animosity between certain characters all keep the film interesting, though it never really attains the element of being scary. Also, the motivation of some of the characters is rather easy to guess at given their earnestness in having others follow their leads to escape.
The production values are all impressive, and the cast members turn in solid performances. Disquiet offers some fine escapism, though its philosophical message is rather run of the mill.
Paramount Pictures and SPMG will release Disquiet in select theatres, on digital, and on demand on February 10, 2023.
