Rating of
3/4
Don't Drink the Water
Chris Kavan - wrote on 03/01/13
I had heard this film described as an eco-horror film with a found footage aspect. Considering how disappointed I have been in most of the so-called "found footage" films that have been released recently, I was skeptical coming in. However, the fact that Barry Levinson (who directed Rain Man, Sleepers and Wag the Dog amongst many others) was behind the camera made me feel a bit better about the film as a whole.
When it comes down to it - Levinson has a much better vision than other directors when it comes to found footage. He manages to make things feel fresh - using just about every kind of camera: security cameras, police car dash cams, handheld camcorders, Skype, cell phones, video diaries, live blogs, news footage - and he uses it in such a way that this feels more like a documentary with a horror twist than just another horror film. And there's a reason for that.
In the special features, Levinson says he was originally approached do a documentary on the Chesapeake Bay - but after coming across a Frontline piece about how 40% of the bay is officially classifed as a dead zone - he decided to change things up and add in a mutated parasite (the very real Cymothoa exigua) while still managing to expose some of the ecological dangers (massive amounts of chicken excrement, world-wide fish kills, rising levels of bacteria and algae blooms) that are spreading. Of course, he takes things to extreme levels - the parasite in question is pretty gross - it essentially replaces a fishes' tongue and sucks its blood - but in the movie thanks to steroid-laced chicken excrement, it gets really big - and jumps to humans where it eats pretty much everything from the inside out.
The movie plot is essentially a young journalist who gets caught up in the annual Claridge, Maryland Fourth of July festivities when things start to get weird. People break out in blisters and lesions - the crab-eating contests turns into a hurl-fest - the local doctor is soon overwhelmed and contacts the CDC - but they are a bit slow on the uptake as more and more people arrive as the hospital where amputations are soon the word of the day.
Meanwhile, we are treated to footage leading up to the events by two scientists who are studying the Chesapeake Bay and encountering some disturbing results around Claridge - they send it to the mayor of the town (who also owns the massive chicken farming operation that is polluting the Bay) who, of course, ignores the reports. But things soon take a turn for much worse as the true nature of the parasites become known and people begin dying by the hundreds. We also follow the journey of a young couple and their infant son as they make their way to Claridge to visit family.
Those interested in pure horror will be disappointed - this is not typical horror fare. Despite a few good jump scares (and some disturbing visuals toward the end) - mostly this relies on a good imagination and trying to place yourself in the same situation. I thought the found footage aspect was used to great effect - in this digital era where pretty much anything can be posted to YouTube or Twitter - something like this outbreak caught on a variety of sources makes it feel that much more plausible.
For those who like their horror a bit more intellectual, The Bay is an excellent choice for a dark night. Those annoyed by jittery cameras might find it hard to sit through - as are those more invested in gore and and chainsaws - but I was looking for something different and this managed to surprise me.
