NEW LIFE -- One of the Most Surprising Horror Films I've Seen All Year

Review by Dan Skip Allen

When I pressed play on New Life, I had no idea what I was getting into or what the title of the film truly meant. Once I started watching it, I fully understood where it was going. Sometimes I was delighted by the location, and other times I was completely disgusted by the destination. That's what a great horror film does, and this one was a pleasant surprise from the beginning to end.

Jessica (Hayley Erin) is running toward the camera with her face covered in blood. The camera pans back, and we see men in hazmat suits with guns chasing her down the street. Fast forward to a government agent (Tony Amendola) making a phone call to another woman, Elsa (Sonya Wagner). He tells her she needs to track down this woman who may be infected with a deadly strand of the Ebola virus, and she could be spreading it everywhere she goes, to everyone she comes in contact with.

The film starts with that framing device and goes back and forth between these two main characters until they eventually meet each other tragically. We see both of their stories, why they are doing what they're doing, and how they are motivated individually. We as viewers are instantly interested in each woman and the reason they have to do what they have to do.

The thing about this film that makes it pretty amazing is there is a twist about halfway through the film I didn't see coming that was pretty crazy. Without spoiling the movie, it gets batshit crazy right at the halfway point. I thought I was watching a horror film, but most of the movie was character-building stuff and dialogue between characters in person or on a phone. However, once the twist happens, things get nuts.

With the COVID-19 virus not too far in the distant past, and to some extent still lingering among the public, this film hit home for me, and I'm sure it'll hit home for many others who watch it. The fact about the Ebola virus isn't the only illness-related topic in the movie. Wagner’s character has ALS, commonly referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease. She is struggling on her end to walk, talk, and still do her job effectively. The nuance with which the film talks about its medical topics is surprising.

The two main women portrayed by Erin and Wagner are both very well-fleshed-out characters. The women get the audience to buy into their plight until they have to take a side, and the twist makes up their mind for them/us. The supporting cast is well used, with good character actors who do good work in these roles. It's the two lead actresses that sell this movie and its plot, as well as the crazy twist in the middle of the film.

New Life isn't what I expected by a long shot, but I loved every minute of this movie, which was something that could actually happen in real life. The realistic nature made it all the more interesting to watch. It started slowly to build the tension, then it went wild in the middle. The two lead actresses sold the film perfectly with their performances, and the supporting cast was good as well. The writing and direction by John Rosman were incredible. This is going to be a film people will be talking about throughout its festival run and when it comes out.

New Life is screening at the 2023 edition of FrightFest, which runs in the UK from August 24-28.

​Rating: 4.5/5