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Wednesday, 4 July 2012

The Watcher - Storage 24

A plane crash over central London causes mayhem, a small group of people are stuck within a storage facility warehouse called Storage 24 and something else is stuck in there with them...


Storage 24 is directed by Johannes Roberts and written/produced by its lead star, Mr Noel Clarke. Clarke plays Charlie, a man who has recently been dumped by his girlfriend and isn’t particularly dealing with it well. Along with his best friend Mark, Charlie heads to Storage 24 in order to collect some of his belongings after his recent breakup. But of course it turns out his ex Shelley and her friends Nikki and Chris are there also doing the same.

After the plane crashes things within the storage warehouse begin to go a bit haywire. Phone signals are dead and the power keeps cutting out, which then of course causes the lights and security systems to fail. Locking everyone in, A perfect situation for a creature attack. And attack it does!


The plane seemed to be holding a very secret cargo, one which doesn’t like people very much (or being dropped from a plane!). A strange biped insect-like creature which leaves a trail of gooey white substance and mutilated bodies where it goes while it stalks the inhabitants of the warehouse.

Johannes Roberts manages to keep the pace tense by not showing the creature off right away, but when it is seen in full I found the visual effects very well created. The creature itself seems to be mostly made up of prosthetics with very little use of CGI (that I noticed anyway!), but still manages to look realistic and not naff. The sound also plays a big part in the intensity of movie - as it does with most movies of this nature - but admittedly I found things a little loud. Now I am not sure wether this was supposed to be the effect (for shock value) or whether it was just a decision by the cinema I saw it in.


A lot of the characters aren’t particularly likable, apart from Charlie of course but then I think this may be the point. I found myself rooting for the  creature at several points. Some small but very entertaining supporting roles filled by Alex Price as the desk attendant who is bored with his job and feels he shouldn’t be there and Ned Dennehy as a crazy man who is hiding away from his ex-wife by living in the storage warehouse. Both of these had me laughing out loud several times.

A very British movie mostly set in an identikit corridor storage warehouse which succeeds in entertaining on a small budget and includes elements of horror, action and comedy. Not a lot of films can boast this. Also look out for a humorous use of a small yappy dog toy and an ending which teases the future lives of our survivors.

I really did enjoy the film and would recommend others to see it but I honestly wouldn’t rush to see it again, definitely a rental for a fun evening at home with a group of friends.

Stefan Harkins is almost house trained.

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