Fractured (2016) Review – A Cringe-Inducing yet Compelling Mystery Thriller

Welcome to Knockout Horror. Today we are reviewing the British mystery-horror movie Fractured (2016).

A pretty interesting mystery horror

The first ten minutes of Fractured are extremely ordinary. We are introduced to Michael (Karl Davies) and Rebecca (April Pearson), a young couple on their way to a holiday destination for a seemingly romantic weekend away. Sure, they both come across as annoying, overbearing, idiots but that is true of a lot of young couples.

They bicker and take jabs at each other as they stop off at a petrol station. Michael, noticing the strange reaction of the petrol station attendant, asks to use the toilet. While sitting down he spots someone approaching the cubicle. Hastily leaving, forgetting Rebecca’s purse, the couple eventually arrive at their destination to enjoy a pleasant night together.

It isn’t long before Michael and Rebecca start noticing things amiss in their secluded getaway. Shoes are missing, items are missing from their car, and the occasional random noise unnerves them somewhat. Despite the disturbing aura, they attempt to get on with their night and enjoy themselves.

After a spirited spanking session – don’t worry, nothing too graphic and no nudity for the less liberal minded of you – Michael manages to somehow knock himself unconscious. This leaves the bound Rebecca in a somewhat precarious position, face down, in the dark, and with something seemingly in the house.

An interesting twist

Within 35 minutes we are introduced to an interesting twist that I am not going to speak about in any depth. In fact, I really can’t discuss any more of the plot for the risk of spoilers and that’s not how we roll on Knockout Horror. We want to keep our reviews as spoiler free as possible.

“Fractured introduces an interesting twist that flips the entire movie on its head. It takes what was initially a very bland thriller and makes it something much more interesting.”

Suffice to say, it is a decent twist that flips the entire movie on its head. It takes what was, initially, a very bland thriller movie with unlikable characters and makes it something much more interesting.

A good twist can really change the outlook of a movie. Movies love to attempt to pull the rug out from under your feet and the horror genre is definitely no exception. There is so much room for moving the goal posts and Fractured does a really good job. Sure there are a few things that don’t quite add up but it really isn’t bad. I would actually go as far as to say that the twist makes the movie worth watching despite many of its flaws.

Director Jamie Patterson wants you to buy into this movie as a fairly mundane thriller. He does this by making the majority of the events very ordinary. All of that rote thriller stuff was very deliberate. It isn’t until the rug is pulled away from under us that the film really opens up. The tense but familiar home invader tropes suddenly transform and turn the movie into more of a game of cat-and-mouse. It’s quite unexpected, too. I didn’t thoroughly see it coming but there are hints when you look back.

The action element is less noteworthy but it’s forgivable. Part of me was just relieved that the plot had evolved into something much more interesting. That doesn’t mean there aren’t issues, though.

Scripting, cameras and lighting – oh my!

First of all, I absolutely have to mention the scripting. It has been a long time since I cringed so heavily at the dialogue in a movie. Do people actually talk to each other like this? If I spoke to my fiancée the way Michael talks to Rebecca I doubt I would ever be able to stop her laughing and she definitely wouldn’t take me seriously again.

“You hear that? Exactly! Nothing needs to be said. We know each other inside and out” – Michael

That is an actual quote from the film as Michael and Rebecca stare awkwardly into each others eyes. Naturally preceded by a Michael Myers-esque head tilt. It was both creepy and cringe inducing. This is one of many similar lines that made my skin crawl with just how badly delivered and out of place they were.

Michael and Rebecca have no chemistry until the plot becomes a little more clear but even then these lines seem out of place. The screenplay and writing is really substandard and the characters never once seem like anything other than paint by numbers low budget horror characters.

Basic camera work

Camera work is pretty basic with little experimentation. Shots linger which I prefer to the all too common trope of switching between characters to capture reactions. Nothing reveals an inexperienced camera crew and director like the need to always focus on the person who is talking. We have some shots through windows and through cracks in doors that certainly accomplish the task of setting the voyeuristic scene.

“Shots linger, which I prefer to the common trope of switching characters to capture reactions. We have some shots through windows and door cracks that set an effective voyeuristic scene.”

We do have some extremely poor shots such as the scene where Michael is spanking Rebecca. The shot is claustrophobic and doesn’t give much hint as to what is going on. It makes it look like they have chosen to sleep in a box room rather than the large bedroom we see them in earlier on in the movie.

The biggest visual problem I had with Fractured is the lighting. This movie is incredibly dark. We watched on a large TV that is configured to display as close to the director’s intentions as possible and some scenes were incredibly dark in parts. I get it, they are in the middle of nowhere, they don’t know how a light switch works, I understand but it is just too much.

Some acting inconsistencies

Fractured features some very experienced British actors that many people from the UK will recognise. Karl Davies, who plays Michael, just got done with Chernobyl and was the original Robert Sugden in Emmerdale. April Pearson starred in the first couple of seasons of Skins, and Louisa Lytton has been acting since her teens as Ruby in Eastenders. They, for the most part, do a great job, especially Louisa Lytton.

“Screenplay and writing is really substandard. Michael and Rebecca have no chemistry until the plot becomes clear, and some lines made my skin crawl with how badly delivered they were.”

There are, however, a few instances where the dialogue drags down the acting. There are certain lines, as mentioned above, that would be impossible for any actor to deliver well. April Pearson shines more towards the middle of the movie as the plot begins to clear up and Karl Davies is fairly consistent throughout though he seems to get the bulk of the bad lines.

It is a little difficult to separate what is average acting and just bad scripting but there is nothing that gets in the way of the story and none of the acting stands out as being particularly good or bad.

Our Scoring Philosophy: A Fair Fight

Horror is a genre that thrives thanks to indie film makers and low budget creators. At Knockout Horror, we firmly believe that every movie that we review deserves a fair fight. That's why we grade on a curve. Our star ratings are all about context, judging a film on what it achieves with the resources it has.

A 4-star rating for a scrappy indie horror made for $10,000 is a testament to its ingenuity and raw power. A 4-star rating for a $100 million blockbuster means it delivered on its epic promises. We don't compare them side-by-side; we celebrate success in every weight class, from the back-alley brawler to the heavyweight champion. Please keep this in mind when considering star ratings.

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