A disabled war veteran is in bad hands when his family hires the live-in nurse from hell in this intense psychological shocker. George (The Sacrament’s Gene Jones) is an aging ex-soldier haunted by memories of Vietnam and struggling to reconnect with his estranged son and granddaughter. But when he suffers a stroke and is diagnosed with dementia, George is left in the care of Michelle (Halloween’s Kristina Klebe), a seemingly sweet nurse with a disturbing dark side. At the mercy of a psychopath with a hypodermic needle, George becomes a prisoner in his own home, caught in a sadistic game of cat and mouse as brutal as anything he experienced in Vietnam.
Gene Jones, who’s mesmerizing performance as “Father” in Ti West’s The Sacrament, truly shook me, is back to finish me off. While this trailer telegraphs some serious elder abuse, it’s title has me squinting, & wondering if what we see is actually happening. Is this live-in nurse, reallllly out to get George? Or is this a simple case of Misery with a touch of Gran Torino? Honestly, Gene’s intensity combined with these absolutely terrifying visuals (I’m afraid of needles, & the elderly, alright? Lay off.), we’re in for a good time, no matter the crime.
A should also mention, this is the directorial debut of Mike Testin, cinematographer of Contracted, & Contracted: Phase II. One could argue that it’s his eye that made those dripping, puss filled eyes, & rotting limbs so effective.
Face your fear, take your medicine, & watch Dementia December 4th on VOD.