Unrest (2006)

Note: This review is part of my coverage of After Dark Horrorfest: 8 Films To Die For.

Unrest

Two words sum this movie up pretty well: gross anatomy - from removing the ribcage, to swimming in a formaldehyde tank full of cadavers. Apparently, an archaeologist uncovered an Aztec sacrificial site, and became possessed by not only the god of fertility and prostitution, but also by the many tortured souls of those who were sacrificed there in the past. She dies somehow, and ends up in a medical school as a cadaver to be studied and examined by students. One of the students has premonitions about the possession of the cadaver, and people start getting killed in mysterious ways while she tries to figure out how to appease, or at least get rid of, the angered souls of the dead.

This movie was alright. It wasn't so much creepy or scary as it was gross, as I've already alluded to. There were some spiritual issues thrown in, since the one student who has premonitions is an atheist and has trouble making some decisions about what to believe when it comes to spirits of the dead. Nothing terribly deep or philosophical, though. The characters weren't too incredible, either, but maybe I just have a hard time empathizing with high-level medical students. I could empathize, however, with the general feelings the students had about their 'gross anatomy' class, that it was basically the primary nightmare in their medical education, an obstacle that had to be overcome. I also liked the motion-sensing lights in the hallway of the hospital, it made for a creepy atmosphere at times. All in all, it was an entertaining, but not incredible, movie.

Reasons for banning: I think the obvious reason that this movie would never get a regular run is generally the volume of material concerning cadavers. Cadaver nudity, graphic cadaver violence (cutting open a dead body), cadaver-related language and jokes, and the disturbing scene where two students decide to half-strip and take a swim in the formaldehyde-filled cadaver tank (I'm being unfair, they had a reason to dive in - maybe not a good reason, but a reason).