A present day horror thriller, ‘New Life’ follows Jessica (Hayley Erin) as she runs from a mysterious incident. Followed soon after by agent Elsa Gray (Sonya Walger) the two women battle personal daemons as the agent pursues Jessica.
Opening on a distressed and terrified Jessica, the film reserves the need for exposition and dives straight into the action. Not disclosing for why Jessica is terrified, covered in blood and running from home, the story chooses to focus on her shattered confidence and panic.
Hot on her trail, Elsa is briefed by Raymond Reed (Tony Amendola) informing her of the last known whereabouts and the importance of capture of Jessica. Assuming her role, Elsa has to also deal with her recent ALS diagnosis. Taking on the mission, she prioritizes her work as an alternative to facing her debilitating and progressing disease.
Staying off major roads and slumming it in a barn overnight, Jessica is met the following morning by the owners of the rural farmhouse Frank (Blaine Palmer) and Janie (Betty Moyer), and invited in for a meal. Not revealing too much to the elderly couple, Jessica says she wants to make it across the Canadian border. Driven up north, she makes it to a border town where she finds work as a barback for Molly (Ayanna Berkshire). After a night of drinking, Jessica crashes at Molly’s and it is revealed that she is unwittingly spreading a highly contagious virus.
Elsa’s team and agency have tracked Jessica’s path and detained everyone she had been in contact with, revealing that the instigating incident where the virus was contracted was when Jessica befriended a stray dog on a camping trip with her boyfriend. Having been detained, witnessing her boyfriend expire due to the virus and running from the facility as she murders a guard to escape, Jessica believes she is being hunted due to the murder, not realizing she is a carrier of the volatile and highly contagious disease.
Despite Elsa’s expertise and unparalleled tracking abilities, she finds her condition to have made her a liability. Struggling to carry out her job to her full potential, Elsa manages to track Jessica to Molly’s house. Seeing the resulting carnage, as Jessica had infected Molly, Elsa tracks a now also partially symptomatic Jessica to a nearby empty barn.
The two face off as Elsa explains the situation to Jessica and she admits that she did not know she was sick. Elsa offers her to be taken in, whilst Jessica is unwilling to be brought back to the facility. Understanding that Jessica will not sacrifice her freedom, Elsa shoots her down.
Believing the incident to have been contained, Elsa has left her job and invites a caregiver for ALS to her home to help her prepare for what’s to come. Suffering a coughing fit, Elsa looks on to the caregiver in fear of the worst.
Starting strong as a thriller, ‘New Life’ engages its full potential early on. The writer and director of the film, John Rosman showcases a strong understanding and grip on what a compelling thriller makes, namely suspense, intrigue and elements of mystery. Priming the audience for a yet to be revealed twist, the initial focus of the feature remains with Erin’s Jessica. The young woman presents a capacity for remaining undetected, traveling incognito and a resourcefulness very much needed in her circumstances. Inviting questions about her ability to manage such a venture, the film toys with the idea that there is a lot more going on with Jessica than we’re lead to believe.
In contrast to Jessica’s desperation, the film divide’s its attention to allow for Walger Elsa’s story to be told. A weary and hardened agent, Elsa is not faced with grief as she faces a life changing course towards imminent decline. Shown distracting herself with work and throwing herself at the case after the air is cleared and she finds out how dangerous the mission is, Walger exhibits the struggle her character is facing, trying to overcome the inescapable until she admits to herself that she cannot control all situations.
Opening on a terrified and desperate Jessica, ‘New Life’ hits the ground running and does not stop to take a breath. Starting the film during the chase provides for intense moments of suspense and intrigue until it chooses to slow down for a few moments as Elsa takes on the case and is given clarification of what is happening. Not obnoxiously expository however, the feature develops in its own time and the reveals that follow are refreshingly surprising and stunning.
Serving as a marked success as both a thriller and horror feature, what may surprise most is how poignant a drama ‘New Life’ is. With both Erin and Wagler’s characters facing insurmountable obstacles, the film manages to find ample time to explore the range of reactions elicited by grief. A touching insight into those who have been affected by a neurodegenerative disorder, the story delivers a stark comment on those who have or will have to deal with such an issue.
Allowing the viewers to peer into and gain an understanding of the disease is one of the more memorable moments of the film, especially when stood alongside some of the more terrifying jump-scares in a horror feature in quite some time. A worth while venture for those who appreciate horror, thrillers and are excited about the highly contrasting genres to be melded with a compelling dramatic story.
Score: 4/4
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