13 Cameras
Studio: Gravitas Ventures
Directed by Victor Zarcoff
Apr 20, 2016
Web Exclusive
Newly married and expecting their first child, Ryan (PJ McCabe) and Claire (Brianne Moncrief) move into the rental home in which they plan to raise their budding family. Their landlord, Gerald (played by Neville Archambault), is odd and laconic, but the house is nice, so the couple makes do. Little do they know, however, that Gerald has embedded a slew of hidden cameras within the house. From the moment Ryan and Claire move in, Gerald watches their every move, from their quiet nights at home, to Claire in the shower, to Ryan’s illicit affair with his assistant.
Written and Directed by Victor Zarcoff, 13 Cameras is a frequently tense, often creepy voyeuristic thriller. Ryan and Claire’s shared lack of privacy in what ought to be their most sacred and safe of havens—their own home—is a nightmare unfortunately lived by millions of people with neither their consent nor their knowledge. Zarcoff’s script and direction are both admirable, especially for a first time filmmaker. However, he tips his hand with Gerald, who from the get-go is an unapologetic, unremitting creep. Gerald’s taciturn demeanor, which dominates the film’s opening scene, is unyielding throughout the picture. He doesn’t hide or change who he is in the presence of his prospective tenants, and his nature is alarming enough to raise red flags for Claire the moment she sees the house. Claire and Ryan opt to disregard their gut instincts about Gerald, which we, the viewers, know from the moment the film opens are spot on. Had Zarcoff taken an alternate route with his landlord—if Gerald was an amicable guy, or at least not totally unnerving—13 Cameras would be even scarier. The threat of home privacy invasion is most visceral when it comes from a trusted source. Instead, Gerald is presented as an obvious villain, lessening the horror’s potential impact.
That aside, Zarcoff crafts an engaging enough story inhabited by otherwise believable characters and an entertaining enough tale about marital infidelity. 13 Cameras is far from a flawless movie, but it’s a pleasant surprise and should do well to establish Zarcoff as an emerging filmmaker—especially of the horror genre—to watch.
Author rating: 6/10
Average reader rating: 8/10
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June 19th 2021
6:17am
He doesn’t hide or change who he is in the presence of his prospective tenants, and his nature is alarming enough to raise red flags for Claire the moment she sees the house.
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