Welcome to Knockout Horror and to another horror movie review. Today we are taking a look at Gnaw. I believe this movie is also known as Apartment 212. Directed by Haylar Garcia. Gnaw is one of those movies that has been around for awhile. Despite this, it seems to be being marketed as a relatively new film. When we watched it, it was advertised as being a 2022 film. From what I can tell, however, it did the festival circuit back in 2018.
Gnaw (Apartment 212) follows the story of Jennifer (Penelope Mitchell). Jennifer is moving to an apartment complex after suffering abuse at the hands of her husband. Determined to make something of herself. She applies for jobs but is rejected due to lack of experience. Jennifer notices that her neighbour is covered in sores and she hears her crying all throughout the night. One day, out of the blue, her neighbour commits suicide. Jennifer takes a discarded box that belonged to her and, all of a sudden, she begins to suffer her own nightmare. What could be the cause?
We’ve explained the ending to this one so if you want to go and check that out, click the following link. Apartment 212 (Gnaw) Ending Explained. Keep in mind, only view the article if you have already watched the movie. Unlike our reviews, Ending Explained articles are not spoiler free.
Body Horror
Body horror is a very interesting sub-genre. The vast majority of horror movies scare you in fairly conventional ways. Whether it is a bad guy chasing vulnerable people, paranormal happenings tormenting a family, uncomfortable and scary domestic situations etc etc. Horror typically follows a well worn blueprint.
Body horror strays from that blueprint in quite a significant way. Body horror is one of the few horror sub-genres that doesn’t require an antagonist. It is the self destruction of the human body that makes this type of movie so scary. The thought that a person could begin rotting away is a very visceral fear and incredibly effective. Whether the person is transforming into something different or is just ill. Body horror taps into a very specific type of fear present in all of us.
You always know what to expect with these movies. Chunks of flesh coming away from the bone, teeth being pulled out and dropped into the sink, painful looking open wounds. It is real “turn away from the TV” stuff. Sure, it is a little overdone in this day and age but it is no less wince inducing. Body horror can be some of the absolute scariest horror around. Without question!
A Bit of a Bait and Switch
So why am I mentioning body horror, here? Well, that’s what I thought I was getting into when I went into Gnaw. The cover sure as hell suggested that. A woman’s naked back covered in open wounds. I thought this would be the type of movie that would turn your stomach. You know? The kind you don’t eat while watching. Well, boy was I disappointed.
I am here to warn you that if you go into this movie expecting that, you will leave unsatisfied. The body horror here is a very minor part of it. Our protagonist, Jennifer, does suffer some nasty wounds but, despite that, it really isn’t the focus at all. This is not the place to go looking for amazing makeup effects. You will not find nails being peeled off or rotten chunks of flesh here. This is a completely different type of horror movie.
Apartment 212 (Gnaw) is far more of a creature movie. It may not seem it for at least 40 minutes, however. There is a tremendous focus on establishing the scene. Indeed, for much of its length, Gnaw could accurately be described as a domestic drama. Sure, a boring domestic drama, but a domestic drama nonetheless. It’s about a woman escaping domestic abuse finding herself in possession of some type of dybbuk box that will make her life a hell of a lot worse. Sure, there are a few moments of body horror. Jennifer wakes up covered in sores, but it is a fairly minor part of the film.
Predictable, Slow and Lacking in Scares
The lack of body horror here is just a microcosm of the bigger issue. Apartment 212 is a disappointing movie that never delivers on what it promises. The premise here is a well worn one. Dybbuk boxes are hugely popular in horror at the moment and the idea feels a bit tired, already. Haylar Garcia just fails to do anything interesting with the concept. It feels like a long, boring, domestic drama with a few horror elements.
Garcia tries to subvert expectation a little towards the latter half of the movie though you probably will have seen the twist coming. A predictable ending provides a yawn inducing full stop at the end of this movie. A movie that is hard to care about. It is really difficult to see how this could have been better. The concept itself is tired. As far as horror goes, this is a thread bare blanket without much fabric left. There isn’t much left to be done. Taking the same tired old tropes and placing them in a different domestic setting while hoping for the best won’t cut it. Even with a decent protagonist. That does bring me on to my next point though.
A Few Plus Points
There are a few bright spots here and there. Penelope Mitchell, as Jennifer, is great. Her performance is both sympathetic and relatable. She has excellent use of facial expressions and she also does a great job expressing emotion. Mitchell is very believable when reacting to the horribly itchy sores. That is, obviously, important given the theme of the movie. All in all, she is really fitting in the lead role.
Tenacious D’s Kyle Gass, as Terry, is tons of fun but that probably doesn’t even need to be said. His cheesy dad jokes and affable personality add a sense of warmth to the movie. As Jennifer’s only real friend, he acts as something of a sidekick at times which adds a bit of depth and makes for some interesting interactions. Chris Johnson, as Jennifer’s husband Boyd, is pretty bad. Johnson’s “bad boy” act feels horribly plastic and out of place. I am not sure whether he was putting on an accent or not? Either way, his vocal delivery was very poor. He just came across as very hammy.
The story can be fairly engaging. Jennifer is a likeable character and you want her to succeed. You want her to get past her husband’s abuse and do well. That makes her story easy to invest in. Apartment 212 can be funny at times, as well. Much of this is down to the chemistry between Jennifer and Terry. The other residents of the complex can also be amusing. It’s not a particularly heavy movie that demands a lot of attention. From this perspective, it is quite enjoyable.
Should You Watch Apartment 212?
Apartment 212 is not a terrible movie, it just misrepresents itself and doesn’t do anything all that new. It’s a bit boring but, ultimately, probably worth a watch for fans of dybbuk box horror. Some of the performances are decent and the story is interesting enough. It just doesn’t do anything particularly well making it tough to solidly recommend it.