Waking up in the hospital is never a good thing. This is especially true in horror films because whatever put you there is not as bad as what’s waiting for you. And this is where Danielle Harris finds herself in Christopher Lawrence Chapman’s INOPERABLE.
Amy (Danielle Harris HAVENHURST, VICTOR CROWLEY) is stuck in traffic fleeing a hurricane one minute, the next she’s waking up in a seemingly deserted hospital. When she does find other people, they can’t see her, it’s like she’s a ghost. And then she’s back in her car. And then back in the hospital, only this time they can see her, which is not a good thing. Eventually, she meets Ryan (Jeff Denton ONE-EYED MONSTER) and Jen (Katie Keene THE TOYBOX, LOST LAKE) who are trapped and aware of what’s going on. Now they need to escape before the storm hits and they’re trapped for eternity.
INOPERABLE mixes GROUNDHOG DAY with medical horror such as HORROR HOSPITAL, X-RAY and especially CONVERGENCE. The result is a fast-paced, if at times confusing, film. It’s at it’s best when the characters are racing around the deserted building trying to escape from its murderous staff. The results when they do get their hands on somebody are convincingly nasty. Between their “surgeries” and the aftermath, there’s a lot of old school gore on display.
Unfortunately, INOPERABLE isn’t as good at trying to explain just what is going on. Theories are tossed about such as the storm has caused something to go wrong at a local military research facility or that “it’s Hell or something like it”. It is all explained at the end, but some people are going to be very unhappy with the explanation.
The three leads are well written and acted Denton and Keene, in particular, have a very nice chemistry. The villains, however, are lacking any real backstory or characterization. They’re scary, but not to the degree they would have been with an obvious and developed leader.
While it could have easily been a lot better, INOPERABLE is still an enjoyably blood-soaked film. Rent it with some friends and have a blast.
ITN Distribution will release INOPERABLE on DVD and VOD 2/6/2018.