Soho Horror Film Festival 2024 Coverage
The Waves of Madness review
A side-scrolling Lovecraftian action/horror movie unlike anything you’ve seen before.
Festival reviews will not contain spoilers.
The Waves of Madness
Directed by Jason Trost
Written by Jason Trost
Starring Jason Trost, Tallay Wickham, Ryan Gibson, Aina Dumlao, Meg Woodcraft, James Harding and David Hellmore
The Waves of Madness Review
Writer/director/star Jason Trost appeared on screen ahead of his latest film The Waves of Madness to deliver a direct and succinct message. His twenty-thousand-dollar Lovecraftian action/horror film was created with the intention of delivering an experience unlike anything you’ve seen before. Whether you love or hate The Waves of Madness…there is no denying that he was successful in that pursuit.
I’ve seen a few reviews that refer to the style of The Waves of Madness as being similar to a video game cutscene. I don’t think that’s far off the mark…but I rather saw it as a cinematic version of those video game moments where you regain control of the playable character. The camera fixes its position…the character breathes in and out waiting for your command. We aren’t in control of Trost’s Agent Legrasse, of course. But we watch him side-scroll his way through a Lovecraftian story. It all feels like a Resident Evil game to me. If there was a side-scrolling Resident Evil game that focused on an H.P. Lovecraft-like mystery, that is. The Waves of Madness proves that there should be.
If the sound of a film comprised of a side-scrolling narrative wearies you…I have a few pieces of news that might change your mind. First, the movie is constantly broken up with visions of monsters or flashbacks to fill in Legrasse’s backstory or even an ongoing therapy session. These moments ensure that no monotony will take hold…and are an eloquent way of expanding the story without breaking its persistent momentum. It’s also very short. Clocking in at 65 minutes (though the main narrative is even shorter), The Waves of Madness is a snack-sized treat. Its “gimmick” couldn’t outlive its welcome if it wanted to.
Legrasse isn’t alone on his adventure. He quickly discovers Francis (Tallay Wickham) imprisoned on the derelict ship he is investigating. She talks her way out of the cell and into his mission…providing useful pieces of information along the way. It’s very much like a helpful NPC sidekick running missions with you. One suspects that was the point. The pair have strong chemistry as they investigate the mystery of the lost ship. Oh…and there are monsters. Tentacled monsters rising from the depths to do what tentacled monsters do. This allows the action aspects of The Waves of Madness to kick in. The movie won’t escape the video game allegations while you watch Legrasse firing at hordes of enemies on the other side of the screen.
The Waves of Madness isn’t solely focused on old ones to fill its Lovecraft cred card. Legrasse’s sanity is questioned nearly from the start. Haunted by the memory of his deceased wife Emma…he is an interestingly unreliable narrator. Those therapy sessions call into question everything that we are watching. Talk of guardian angels sent to help in our toughest battles offer a possible explanation to Francis’s inclusion. If you need more logic in your side-scrolling Lovecraftian video game like movie, anyway.
There are fun monster designs teased throughout the film. Eventually we get to see the “final boss” if you’ll allow the video game analogy to continue. It looks like a million bucks. An impressive feat given the 20 grand budget. Every frame of the movie feels like a labor of love concocted by someone driven to offer something new to those who crave it.
The Waves of Madness is shot in stylish black and white against a digital backdrop. The side-scrolling concept offers something fresh. It’s a suitably weird story with two strong lead performances. There’s an extensive mid-credits scene to look out for…continuing the story and pushing it in a new direction. The credits themselves end with a tease for a sequel (The Castellum of Blood) to which I say “Yes, please”. The world needs more original ideas. Trost and company committed to delivering one with The Waves of Madness. Whatever your thoughts on the movie may be…they undoubtedly succeeded in creating it.
Scare Value
It’s true that you’ve never seen anything quite like The Waves of Madness before. The side-scrolling aspect of the film is definitely unique. It also works much better than you’d expect. A visual experiment mixed with an engaging Lovecraftian plot. Fun characters, shootouts, monsters…it packs a lot into its compact run time.
