★★★ out of ★★★★★
Directed by Jason Trost
If you’ve been hankering for a side-scrolling film in the style of action horror video games, filmmaker Jason Trost has you covered with The Waves of Madness.
Official synopsis: A special agent is dispatched to investigate a distress call from a ‘round-the-world cruise, only to find the ship eerily abandoned and haunted by a malevolent force that twists sanity into terror.
Survival horror game enthusiasts and Lovecraftian fear-fare aficionados alike should find plenty to enjoy with writer/director Jason Trost’s latest video game influenced feature The Waves of Madness (Australia, 2024). Billed as the first side-scrolling horror adventure film, this black-and-white mind-boggler combines the aesthetic of those games with Lovecraftian elements to deliver a unique cinematic experience.
Trost plays Agent Legrasse, tasked to investigate a seemingly abandoned ship afloat in the farthest point in the ocean from land. He finds a young woman named Francis (Tallay Wickham) locked up in a cell on the boat. He somewhat reluctantly frees her, telling her she is on her own. She insists on sticking next to him, though. Fortunately, it becomes obvious that she is knowledgeable about some of the weird occurrences on the ship.
If you read “Lovecraftian” above and guessed that there might be monsters and cult members aboard the ship. It’s not much of a spoiler, considering that adjective. Also the film’s very cool poster, lets you know that you are correct. This makes for not simply gunplay and moving from place to place in a hurry — of which there is plenty of both — but also for some ingenuity on the part of our protagonists.
The Waves of Madness is heavy on the use of digital technology and often feels like we’re watching an hour-long cut screen. Some non-gamers may find it somewhat alienating. Those hip to the style or who are unfamiliar but still buy into it should get a kick out of Trost’s commitment to his vision.
Review by Joseph Perry
The Waves of Madness screens as part of Nightmares Film Festival, which runs October 17–24, 2024 in Columbus, Ohio. For more information, visit https://nightmaresfest.com/2024-attend-the-festival/.
