The Canal (2014) | Movie Review

When mild mannered film archivist, David (Rupert Evans), suspects that his wife Alice (Hannah Hoekstra) may be cheating on him, it seems as though his life could not get any more troublesome. At the same time, David is processing footage of a horrific murder from 1902…a murder that conveniently occurred in David and Alice’s very own home. After Alice turns up missing, David begins to suspect that a spirit connected to the footage is responsible and slowly descends into a pit of madness to find answers.

The Canal is director Ivan Kavanagh’s stab at a Shining-esque psychological ghost story and, from start to finish, it is a refreshing entry in an overcrowded lot. The canal of the title refers to a muddy muck of a waterway nearby that plays a central part in this sordid tale, yet the heart of this film’s story lies not in a body of water, but in the recesses of David’s paranoid mind.

The mistake most filmmakers in this genre make is to ramp up the ‘BOO’ scares and gore, and tone down the actual psychology. Throughout his film, Kavanagh ensures us that David’s mental state is constantly in question, both from his friends and peers alike. His son, Billy (the wonderfully adorable Calum Heath), seems to be the only person who never loses faith in his daddy. The ever-presence of an ominous specter is never defined as an absolute, and the entire theory of its existence is in constant doubt. Up until the final frame, we are never truly certain what the right answer is or where this is all leading, and that is what sets The Canal apart from similar films.

The entirety of the film hinges on Rupert Evans as David, as every event is witnessed through the lenses of his hauntingly exhausted eyes. Casting an actor with such mild disposition is something of a masterstroke for Kavanagh, as Evans is so easy-going and relatable that at first we almost refuse to believe it could be anything less than a sadistic haunting. He is the antithesis of Nicholson’s Jack Torrance. Yet as Evans’ mental state declines, and everyone from a sharp cop on his trail (Steve Oram) to David’s loyal but nervous nanny (Kelly Byrne, giving a devastatingly crushing performance) begin to question his well-being, our assuredness of the situation is gradually pried away from our nervously wrangled fingers. Evans’ carefully restrained performance is the lynchpin of the film.

Kavanagh keeps the pacing brisk as well. As the first half of the film keeps a sharp eye on Rupert’s discovery of the events in question, the latter half is solely focused on the police turning their attention towards David while he desperately tried to prove his theories true. Could his paranoia be real? Could this all be nothing more than a mental break stemming from his insistent denial of his failing marriage? Or could this be the manifestation of something hideously evil?

The Canal is a hidden gem of a film, demonstrating the type of intelligent horror audiences often say they want yet rarely pay for. Writer / director Kavanagh offers a taut tale that will keep you guessing up until the head-slapping finale, and the last shot alone might be enough to give you nightmares. If you are looking for a unique horror film that will leave you with a little more to ponder than how deep that neck wound was, take a swim through The Canal.

Starring Rupert Evans, Calum Heath, Kelly Byrne
Directed by Ivan Kavanagh
Written by Ivan Kavanagh

Aaron Peterson
The Hollywood Outsider