As a Calderdale resident, I went to see this film with some anticipation. However, I was sadly disappointed. It aims to be a thriller, but it is really a thinly disguised zombie horror film with lashings of fake blood and gore. The story is preposterous...a loan shark (aided by strongarm hulk) is terrorising shopkeepers/stallowners in a small town using extreme violence and demanding absurdly high repayments (even on loans that haven't been accepted)..whilst all the victims are too terrified to go to the Police. The violence is graphic yet cartoonish..appalling injuries are sustained, yet the characters appear in the next scene as if barely touched. The two central 'strong' female characters are an absurdly glamorous pair (neither of whom has a local accent).The underlying political message seems to be 'women are strong'..this seems to require that ALL the men in the film are either weak, leering sex pests, 'dickheads' or thuggish psychos. As for its portrayal of autism, this is unbelievably insensitive and stereotyped. Victoria Smurfit and Jonathan Singer turn in very convincing performances, but, some sharp witty dialogue aside, the film is spoiled by its uneven tone, veering from gritty social realism to black comedy and then running through clichéd horror/zombie tropes...a villain who refuses to die, bodies in the boots of cars, blood gushing from skulls (The title The Taking = a nod to The Shining?). Disappointing. Could have been so much better with a more realistic storyline and characters and a slow build-up of suspense.
Review of Bait
