The Horror Show
Banshee Chapter
by Blair Erickson
I heard talk about Banshee Chapter a few months ago, although, I couldn’t remember if it was good or bad. So, I decided to give it a watch this week. It’s loosely based on H.P. Lovecraft’s short story, “From Beyond.” The movie even references the story at one point. For those not familiar with the plot of From Beyond, a scientist, named Crawford Tillinghast builds a machine that stimulates parts of the brain; it allows people to see into different dimensions. However, they become aware of a parallel dimension inhabited by unspeakable horrors. Unfortunately, the monsters can see them too. Then some people die and the machine is destroyed. The plot of Banshee Chapter has nothing to do with this.
James Hirsch was investigating the US mind control experiment, MKUltra. One of the drugs used is DMT-19 and James has acquired some. He takes it for the sake of his story and the effects are less than desired. He begins to panic and scream that something is coming after him. His friend recording this finds James shortly after and his face has become distorted with black eyes. Shortly after, James disappears. His college friend Anne tries to discover what happened to him. Eventually, her search leads her to Thomas Blackburn, a writer who is known for his superfluous use of drugs and radical behavior. Anne and Blackburn discover the true purpose of DMT-19, it turns people into receivers and leaves them open for possession by otherworldly creatures.
This movie is filled with plot holes galore! First off, those who have been infected through use of DMT-19 sometimes turn immediately and other sometimes not for a while. It’s actually frustrating because the only people who are infected but don’t turn are the ones relevant to the plot. I can’t figure out the rules this drug follows. Some people turn right away, some have a gradual but obvious turn, and some never seem to turn despite being infected. It gets worse.
I’m going to describe this the best I can without giving away spoilers. It’s no surprise that Thomas Blackburn supplied James with DMT-19. So, let’s construct a little timeline here. Blackburn’s associate Callie finds a way to create DMT-19 before the events of the movie. Thomas supplies James with the drug. Anne then meets Thomas. Thomas and Callie decide to randomly use DMT-19 for the first time that night. They’ve been able to make this drug for a while and now they just choose to try it for the first time that specific night? That makes zero sense! Here’s another. It’s revealed that the government didn’t create the drug but the creatures gave it to them. It seems implied that the captured creature in the facility gave it to them. However, it just looks like a human who’s been infected. In fact, it has to be because the creatures need bodies to exist in our dimension. Ergo, how did the creatures actually communicate with people to create the first human receiver and give them the ability to make DMT-19? Lastly, what was the goal of the creatures? They’re possessing people, yeah, but for what means? Is their dimension just really so crappy that they desire to posses human form to escape? It’s not like they’re infecting humans to try to become human either. They just become monstrous and do who knows what when they aren’t attacking others. This movie in my opinion is Swiss cheese, full of holes.
The following paragraph contains spoilers that may be unsuitable for some audiences. Let’s talk about the plot twists at the end. In the final few moments I had little clue as to what just happened. Anne is safe in the police department and her friend comes to bail her out. Then, she hears the number station and her friend seems to randomly turn as well despite her not appearing to be infected. What? I actually had to look this up because I didn’t understand what just happened. Apparently I didn’t pick this up at all: the drug can also be spread by touch. Re-watching the end, I see it now, but it was far too subtle, easily missed, and makes no sense. So I guess Anne infected her friend, then once again, her friend turns but still Anne does not. The second reveal is that Thomas Blackburn was a test subject during MKUltra. However, he was a young man at the time and he didn’t start to turn until at least forty years later. Also, Blackburn must have interacted with tons of people in forty years. Everyone who turns disappears; everyone he’s met and infected. Thusly, some should have turned at some point. How could he have not realized that most of the people he’s met in the past forty years have vanished?
The movie did incorporate some really creepy moments. My personal favorite addition were the number stations, which are real things. There is much speculation as to what their use is for. Some speculate drug smuggling, some say it’s weather data, but it’s most widely believed as a means to communicate with spies. While it has a non-scary explanation, listening to it is another matter. I’ve listened to a few clips on the Internet and they are one of the creepiest things I’ve ever heard. Another unsettling part about this movie was the damn music box playing. I don’t know what it is but a lone music box playing is one of the most terrifying things a person can listen to. The infected people didn’t impress me; they just looked like the ghost boy from Ju-on. Black eyes and gaping mouth is nothing new to horror. However, there was one that that stood out, it was covered in shadows but it had visibly elongated fingers. Even though it appeared once, I would’ve liked to see more of it. It was actually quite startling.
I would go as far to say that the previously mentioned things were the best parts about Banshee Chapter. I, sadly, could not get past the vague story riddled with plot holes. I’ve been doing some research on the movie and people genuinely seem divided on the subject. People seem to either love or hate this movie. I, certainly, did not like this movie. Others who disliked it said it was boring, I don’t agree with that. I felt there was lots of suspense and I was even startled and unnerved at times. However, this movie is way too confusing to actually follow. If you’re a person like me and you like to question everything, you’ll tear apart this movie. There were just too many things that I just couldn’t get over. Some people will probably hate me for saying that I didn’t enjoy this movie but that’s not my problem. The sad part is that Netflix actually thought I would enjoy Banshee Chapter. It’s almost never wrong with its recommendations. Netflix you’re dropping the ball.
Billy Wayne Martin, HMS
The Horror Show Menu.