This interesting indie horror flick harkens back to the days of classic splatter-monsters, and does it with flair and fun. The story involves a group of college friends who, upon vacationing in rural Connecticut, encounter a rural "legend", in the form of a demonic banshee with a devastating subsonic cry (and a taste for human flesh). The creature effects are actually quite superb (kudos to Dan Anderson and director/visual effects master Theys), and the gross-out gore here is top-notch. The acting and dialogue is a stumbling point, though, as some of the acting is delivered a little too "scripted" and unnatural. The lovely Ashley Bates is obviously the focal point here, and some of the other actors are likeable enough, too, though the aforementioned dialogue hurts the film's overall impact. I admit to cringing with the finale, where, not to give away too much, "Rocker" uses his guitar riffage to banish the beast. Ugh. Despite these flaws, "Banshee" is an entertaining and well-done little film that gets the job done better than many major studio offerings. (Synthetic Cinema via MVD Visual)
