Pontypool

I don't have a common last name. So, when about half way through this suspense movie, the radio DJ starts rattling off obituaries of whole families who killed each other I kinda freaked out. One family had my last name. Of course this only ratcheted up the tension created by this Canadian thriller for me. The calm, nonchalant way he mentions how this person and that person were murdered is very creepy.

Pontypool is a small rural Ontario town. 3 people are going on the air wit their am radio show. The DJ is new and we can guess that such a post is beneath him and that he is an experienced radio guy and used to being in the heart of the action. He bickers with his producer over the banal news, traffic reports and school closure information he has to announce. He so wants to be an opinion maker and someone who generates controversy.


Soon reports start to dribble in about mobs and riots in the small town. At first they believe it is a hoax but when its reported that the military has moved into the area they start to believe that SOMETHING is going on. That 'something' becomes truly unbelievable when their 'chopper in the sky' guy witnesses acts of cannibalism and strangers 'talking in tongues'. When a message in French is broadcast over their system telling everyone to avoid close contact with family members AND the English language we know that we are dealing with an horrific event.

The script shows the writer has a love of language and it's language that is the heart of this tale. The film forces you to listen and as a thriller that is a very effective technique. Often what we fear the most is what we imagine in our own minds. I found myself relating to the crisis these three people were experiencing as I wondered how I would deal with the lack of information and gradually developing fear. All in all this is a very effective creep out perfect for the Halloween Month celebration.