HOLLYWOOD—The horror genre is pretty much dead and it just seems to be getting worse each day. “The Collection” a follow-up to the 2009 picture “The Collector” is a gruesome tale of violence that is not for the faint of heart. Its predecessor followed a sociopath who collects people and kills them one-by-one leaving only one survivor. Arkin O’Brien (Josh Stewart) returns as the sole survivor from the previous picture that miraculously survives a string of deadly traps implemented by the Collector.
The opening of the picture is tough to watch as a massive group of people meet their demise at the hands of sharp projectiles. The loss of those lives allows Arkin to escape a contraption thanks to Elena (Emma Fitzpatrick). As the duo attempt to escape the Collector’s clutches, Arkin escapes the booby trapped building, but Elena becomes the sociopath’s newest victim.
The rest of the movie is a cat and mouse game as Arkin is forced to assist authorities in finding the elusive killer that has become a celebrity to some degree. A reluctant Arkin does assist authorities, but refuses to partake into entering the killer’s hideout. Unfortunately for him he is forced to do the unthinkable. One by one people are picked off by the Collector and his deadly traps. My biggest gripe with the picture is it’s indeed a knock-off of the “Saw” franchise. The film which was written by Marcus Dunstan and Patrick Melton takes the idea of excessive violence to new levels. Unlike the “Saw” movies where Jigsaw attempted to teach his victims a lesson, no clear motive is explained in the picture. The Collector is a sadistic individual who finds joy in brutally dismembering, bludgeoning and terrorizing people.
It’s a movie that is likely to cause the faint of heart to get up and walk out of the theater. The violence is prevalent and does not let up until the final moment. Fans of the genre will enjoy the blood fest, others will not. Being a horror fanatic myself (pictures with unique concepts, character development and suspense), the movie offered nothing fresh in my opinion.
“The Collection” simply joins a long list of uninspiring horror flicks that have attempted to mimic what has been depicted on the big screen before. Its overly violent, has very little character development and minimal scares. It’s a flick better suited on a boring afternoon, but even then I could not recommend this blood fest that is difficult to watch without turning your head away from the screen
By LaDale Anderson
