This
stately downtown Sofia apartment building is a lot like Sigourney Weaver’s
complex in the original Ghostbusters.
It has some strange design elements that could only serve an uncanny function.
At least it’s quiet—usually. When former LA cop Brett Anderson accepts the
position of live-in security guard, he assumes it will the cushy gig his
employers promised. Alas, whatever the heck he is supposed to be guarding will ruin
his nice, peaceful evenings in Patricio Vallardes’ Nightworld (trailer
here), which
screens during the 2017 Morbido Film Fest, south of the border.
Anderson
has been plagued by nightmares featuring his late wife, so he moves from the
Bulgarian provinces to Sofia, accepting the ridiculously easy job his pal lined
up. He doesn’t even have to spend his time watching the security CCTV. They
have software that flags any anomalies for his daily review. Frankly, the
basement “hanger” they are monitoring is so dark, there is really nothing for
him to see anyway. It is low stress work that comes with a well-appointed flat,
but his nightmares become even more violent after moving in. On the plus side,
the inviting café across the street employs an attractive barista named Zara.
She is friendly too. She will be the one who finally informs Anderson of the
building’s infamous history.
So,
when Anderson sees some kind of something move across the monitor, who’s he
gonna call? That’s right, Robert Englund. He would be our first choice too. In
this case, he is playing Jacob Keaton, a rather eccentric and completely blind
security consultant. Keaton might be blind, but he is still a natty dresser.
Englund plays it to the hilt, practically giggling with mischievous glee—and his
enthusiasm is contagious. Whenever he is on-screen, he kicks up the energy
level several notches.
Gianni
Capaldi is also quite a pleasant surprise, displaying Hammer-worthy
scenery-chewing chops as Anderson’s weirdly vague boss Martin. Lorina Kamburova
is indeed quite charming as Zara. Granted, it is hard to believe Anderson and
Keaton would let her tag along when they start investigating the cosmic
evil-doing in the basement. On the other hand, it wouldn’t make much sense to
push her off screen. This is a horror
movie, just deal with it. Everymanish Jason London gets upstaged left and
right, but he is a reasonably solid and credibly incredulous presence.