The live-action, full-motion video game Dead Reset was released to positive reception by publisher Wales Interactive last year, and director Stewart Sparke of developer/production company Dark Rift Horror has now re-edited footage from the game into a feature-length runtime. Also titled Dead Reset, the film premiered at FrightFest and is just as exciting as the game. Sparke is known for previously directing The Creature Below, Dread’s very own Book of Monsters, and the fun How to Kill Monsters, and he wrote the screenplay for Dead Reset alongside his frequent collaborator, Paul Butler. Needless to say, the pair delivered a gruesome adventure that packs a bloody punch.
Dead Reset follows a surgeon named Cole Mason (Daniel Thrace) who finds himself trapped in a mysterious research facility, with no idea how he got there. Ordered to perform an emergency operation on a patient by the facility’s manager, Magson (Andrina Carroll), Cole soon learns that he is trapped in a never-ending time loop, and that the facility is also home to a parasitic creature that wants to kill everyone on board. With time running out, Cole desperately needs to escape the loop and the facility before he dies permanently.
What follows is an exhilarating adventure as Cole desperately searches for a way out, dying countless times in the process. Thrace perfectly captures the desperation and panic Cole feels as his situation grows increasingly hopeless, and the relentlessly fast pace keeps things moving at breakneck speed, keeping viewers interested at all times. The production design makes the facility seem like something straight out of a high-tech nightmare, and the gradual revelation about its true location will certainly shock most viewers. And, as with Sparke’s previous films, the level of gore on display is absolutely abundant, with human entrails being splashed across the screen at regular intervals. Once again, the production team primarily relies on practical gore effects over CGI, making the gore seem all the more satisfying. This is a film where nobody peacefully dies in their sleep, with each death sequence instead being as overly brutal and over the top as fans have come to expect from previous Dark Rift Horror productions.
The script carries a non-stop level of urgency, as Cole realizes that the time-loop will not protect him from dying forever. He also learns hidden truths about his past and about the nature of the facility, but the relentlessly fast nature of the script means that these revelations are not given much time to breathe. But the urgent nature of the script means that most viewers will probably not be too bothered by the relative lack of focus on the revelations, with Cole’s desperate journey to escape being interesting enough. As he explores the endless, maze-like corridors of the facility, you really will start to wonder if escape is nothing more than a hopeless dream, with the script constantly keeping you guessing about the real way out.
Regarding the supporting cast, Carroll is in top form as the no-nonsense Magson, who clearly considers her research to be more important than the lives of her co-workers, whom she views as expendable. Magson is exactly the kind of boss you would absolutely loathe to work for, and Carroll has a lot of fun as a character who seems to enjoy belittling others, even in times of crisis. Lyndsey Craine is also memorable as Fearne, a worker at the facility who is clearly hiding her own dark secrets, which she clearly does not want to come to light. And Dennis Rasaq will impress viewers as Riz, the facility’s tough and pragmatic security head, who initially seems all too eager to draw his weapon, but is eventually pushed to his absolute breaking point as the situation becomes increasingly desperate. However, the fast pace means the supporting characters don’t get as much time to fully flesh out, which also heightens the mystery and intrigue, as Cole is never truly sure who he can trust. The minimal cast also heightens the sense of isolation, with the facility in such a remote, unreachable location that it seems practically impossible for anyone to come to the rescue.
The parasitic creature initially burrows inside its hosts, a clear nod to Alien, before bursting out and gradually reaching full size. Resembling a grotesque, bug-like creature, with tentacles long enough to grab and impale anything in the vicinity, this beast is certainly one of the more original designs from recent monster movies. Make no mistake, you certainly will not want to be trapped in a seemingly impenetrable facility with this thing hunting you.
Dead Reset is a fun, exhilarating adventure with enough gore and high stakes to keep viewers invested until the very end. Also, a little more focus on character development and backstory would have been nice; this is still a very enjoyable and thrilling expedition through a facility with a truly sinister backstory. Anyone who enjoyed the Dead Reset video game will no doubt also enjoy the film.
Summary
Fans of the video game will have a great time with this feature-length cut of Dead Reset.
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