Aqua-phobic Woman Sinks Into Madness Thanks To Crazy Doctor
Taylor Evans (Caroline Redekopp) is a successful modern-day woman with issues that haunt her, in the shape of vividly frighting nightmares. Her world is closing in around her, so she desperately seeks help in an attempt to combat her problem. She has an unexplained phobia to water (Aqua-phobia) which grips her and causes sheer panic, shattering her fragile world. In an attempt to save herself, Taylor reaches out to Doctor John Cane , a phobia specialist. Dr. Cane (Xavier Sotelo) is notorious in psychiatry thanks to controversial behaviour analysis treatment. He recently rose to prominence within the medical community and for that reason Taylor seeks him out specifically. Not the best decision she’s ever made.
The movie starts in 1978 at a house somewhere in the Bible Belt, where a young boy, surrounded by images of Jesus, answers the phone. His aunt Carol asks him if everything is alright, and if she can speak to his mother. Both mother and father have been murdered at the hands of their young son, so now we jump 27 years to the present day.
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Taylor is having a nightmare, thanks to her bedroom window being left open by her friend Dylan (Adam Beach), revealing a very rain-soaked night, but he is trying his best to help her cope. She’s at her wit’s end, so goes to see a Doctor she has heard great things about. Doctor John Cane has successfully treated a lot of celebrities and other well-known people, so she is very confidant it should work for her if she tries hard enough. Dr. Cane Reluctantly agrees to treat her fear of water but on one unusual condition. The treatment must take place on a remote island for her safety and well-being. Once on the secluded island, Taylor begins to suspect that Dr. Cane might just be something other than a simple shrink.
On the remote island Taylor meets the caretaker, Samuel (Pat Fry), a strange character indeed, who looks to be as insecure as she is. On their first meeting he scares her very badly but the Doc comes to the rescue. Cane appears to be a far more complicated character and his bizarre behaviour makes us wonder just what he really is up to. He unpacks her clothes and gets her to do some questionable things. For example, one of her treatments require her to be bound helpless then locked in a coffin sized box, which obviously terrifies her, but just how long will the mad doctor keep her there, and will Sam get talked into helping her? Taylor must try to escape the island and the crazy Doctor, but she also has demons to face in the process. To stay alive, she has no other choice because remaining on the island is out of the question, as nothing is ever what it seems.
This story was a tad slow, and I found the acting too variable. I think it was the way it was handled by writer/director Dan Forgues, who seemed to encourage forced, over-acted performances at times, with Xavier Sotelo’s Cane being the more noticeable one. That said, it was still a watchable little thriller that was put together rather well, for the incredible sum of $95.6 thousand dollars, so when taken into account, you begin to realise just how well produced this movie really is. I have no problem recommending this movie as I’m sure it will appeal to most, and on sheer entertainment value it’s a decent enough watch.
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Grade: B-
Review by Ed Blackadder, Lead Entertainment Writer
