The Breach is a 2022 Canadian cosmic horror, written by Nick Cutter and Ian Weir, and directed by Rodrigo Gudiño. The film is based on the novel The Troop, originally penned by Nick Cutter. Rodrigo Gudiño is best known as the founding editor and publisher of the online review site, Rue Morgue, created all the way back in 1997.
The story follows Chief John Hawkins, a steadfast police officer in the quiet town of Lone Raven. When a brilliant particle physicist is found dead in a remote house upriver, Hawkins’ investigation leads him down an increasingly eerie path. As he delves deeper into the physicist’s work, he uncovers a world of quantum anomalies, time manipulation, and otherworldly forces that defy explanation.
Establishing an atmosphere of tension and dread from the very beginning, The Breach utilises its rural setting to create a sense of isolation and unease. The hauntingly beautiful cinematography captures the tranquil beauty of the town juxtaposed with the ominous presence of the remote house and its mysterious experiments. The score, composed by Slash of Guns and Roses, complements the visuals perfectly, intensifying the sense of foreboding as the story unfolds.
As the plot thickens, The Breach skillfully weaves together elements of science fiction and horror. It introduces mind-bending concepts of insane scientific theories, inviting viewers to contemplate the boundaries of reality and the unknown. Undoubtedly reminiscent of classic cosmic horror from the 80s and 90s, such as Reanimator (1985), From Beyond (1986), and Event Horizon (1997), just to name a few. With an impeccable level of practical special effects implemented, the film’s driving force is certainly the body horror aspects body horror—going above and beyond for a small-budget film.
Both visceral and foreboding, The Breach is an astounding blend of grotesque body horror and the existential dread of cosmic horror. With astonishing practical effects, a trepidatious score, and intuitive cinematography; the film creates an amazing level of suspense that only seems to grow throughout. Although some performances are stronger than others, the film hardly suffers because of this—fully achieving the perturbation director Rodrigo Gudiño intended.
The Breach (2022) is available to preorder from Raven Banner’s Website here.
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Hey there, I’m Jim and I’m located in London, UK. I am a Writer and Managing Director here at Grimoire of Horror. A lifelong love of horror and writing has led me down this rabbit hole, allowing me to meet many amazing people and experience some truly original artwork. I specialise in world cinema, manga/graphic novels, and video games but will sometime traverse into the unknown in search of adventure.