In our current age of CGI-heavy, jump-scare reliant horror, The Tank is exciting in concept. A creature feature that appears to hearken back to the golden age of practical effects horror films, complete with intense claustrophobia and tension. The idea of the story is just so easy to latch on to as well: a family trapped in a home they inherited from the husband’s parents, who suffered a mysterious fate that they seem to be tracking towards from the moment they step foot in the place. Even the first fifteen minutes or so works very well. The film opens on a short yet operable flashback, which leads us into our main family, many years later, as they work to make ends meet in their pet store. The setup is sweet, the family chemistry is compelling, and the very last note of that sequence ensures us that something isn’t quite right. Can’t ask for much more than that in terms of an opening to a film of this sort.
But unfortunately, The Tank quite literally tanks immediately after. Many of the film’s main issues repeat, and they first appear early on. The meandering nature of the entire thing makes itself very clear here, as well as the film’s tendency to simply ignore questions that should be a natural extension of the story. In one monstrous swoop, the film throws away all the good will earned by opening sequence in favor of a second act composed almost exclusively of messy exposition dumps that are stitched together with connecting scenes of the family just sort of existing. Some of this works to build the family up as a team, and as likable characters, which helps to an extent. But after a while, the film makes clear what’s making all the bumps in the night, and it really starts to drag before it gets to the actual reveal. What makes this issue worse is that it feels like it can’t fully commit when it finally does.
The Tank reminds me in just about every way of the first Annabelle film. A slow, non-committal ride through a world of unanswered questions and underutilized monsters. This film actually has a pretty gnarly creature at it’s core. Not only is it both scary and believable, but the sheer lack of CGI is very impressive. Yet, the film spends more time telling you about the creature than it does showing you, and when they finally open the gates on the thing, all the build-up is squandered in questionable camera work and boring revelations. Just like Annabelle, this film feels like a huge missed opportunity on this front. On the brighter side, the sound design regarding the creatures is magnificent and layered. It gives a unique aspect to the beasts that the camera work failed to bring.
In all fairness, the cinematography is quite good when it isn’t concerned with the creatures. The sandy coastline on which the film is mainly set is constantly given new life with differing visual treatments. The wild, lush environments surrounding the overgrown house at the center of the film’s happenings look wonderfully ominous. This is due in part to the coloring as well, which is consistently gloomy. The overall feel is actually there.
The actors are doing their best, too. A few big deliveries don’t quite hit but it isn’t difficult to buy them, or the film, as a package. The bottom line is just that this is a take it or leave it effort in most every respect. A few notable swings aside, The Tank feels like a cross between a love-letter to horror of old and a film that completely misunderstands those same old films. This is a dominantly shallow non-starter with too few flashes of ingenuity, even if it is respectably earnest at times. Unless you’re a really big fan of practical horror, swim away from this one.
The Tank is currently available in select theaters and on digital platforms courtesy of Well Go USA.
[youtube https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ugp6mE_0Rf4]
'The Tank' promises scares and tension, yet fails to deliver much of either in spite of impressive practical effects.
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