Rent Tank 432 (2015)

Spoilers follow ... - Tank 432 review by NP

Beginning in bleak surrounds, and caught in a situation that only gets bleaker, this has similarities with the excellent ‘A Field in England (2013)’, except roundheads are substituted for soldiers. Whereas that film featured the talents of Julian Barrett, this features Tom Meeten (as Evans), both having starred in the mighty ‘The Mighty Boosh (TV Series, 2005-2007)’.

Whilst the lads are either losing their temper, their sanity or the contents of their stomach, Karlsson (Deidre Mullins) remains calm and collected. As events escalate, the squad, and Annabella (April Pearson) take refuge in an abandoned tank.

This is written and directed by Nick Gillespie (who appears briefly towards the end) and executively produced by Ben Wheatley. Wheatley in particular is a name I look out for, having proven to be a very interesting name in cinema.

Horror takes many forms – gore, ‘torture porn’, exploitation, spectacular, intimate, comedy. I really like this kind of claustrophobic, slow-burning, atmospheric horror. This kind of style, when done this well, is a favourite way of telling a story. It’s a delicate balance; too slow in its telling and the interest wanders (which almost happens a couple of times). Luckily here, we have a small cast who are uniformly excellent. And the addition of an unspecific, ghost-faced, shrieking figure plaguing them adds just the right hint of creepy intrigue.

The ending is as strange as the story itself, leaving itself open for interpretation.