Horror has beena stepping stone for many celebrities' careers, fromJennifer AnistoninLeprechauntoRenée ZelweggerandMatthew McConaugheyinThe Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation.Yellowstoneco-creator and prolific Hollywood screenwriterTaylor Sheridanis also an honorary member of that list, with his directorial debut being a low-budget independent horror project titledVile. However,Sheridandoesn’t see this as his debut, insisting the project was simply a favor he did for his friend Eric Beckwho hadraised the money for the moviebut was overwhelmed with the sheer volume of work. Sheridantold Rotten Tomatoes"I think it’s generous to call me the director." Sheridan may be embarrassed by the caliber ofVile, yet despite the film’s flaws, it is still an interesting study of the human condition and morality.
Taylor Sheridan Stepped in to Direct ‘Vile’ For a Friend
Vilevery much feels likea product of the post-Sawtorture porn wave, taking inspiration from the single-location death game trope. The movie is set in a world where a popular drug is sold on the black market made out of the chemicals released by the body in moments of pain. The runtime follows a group of individuals who wake up in a locked apartment with no means of escape. Attached to their necks arevials that are connected to them via small tubes. A video explains to the group that in order to escape they must produce enough of the pain chemical and the door will unlock. It is a compelling concept that struggles to find its feet. However, for fans of the specific niche, it definitely quenches a desire for movies likeSaw.
The horror presented is squeamish gore; there areno big set pieces with a huge amount of blood. Instead, the cast is grappling with trying to find the most painless way to create pain, a seemingly impossible task. A lot of the tension comes from the fact that there isn’t an antagonist present, which brings the dynamics within the group into focus. It all works to make the violence feel grounded and realistic, such as the slow removal of fingernails or sticking your arms in boiling water. It’s not as gory asSaw, but because of the realism, it’s an overwhelmingly uncomfortable watch.
‘Vile’ Is a Flawed Portrayal of Human Morality
Vileencourages active audience participation. In the same waySawasks ethical questions of its viewers,Vilepresents an extreme situation and offers potential solutions to what would be the fairest method, but refuses to give a definite answer.Instead, the audience is left to grapple with their own ethical stance.This is heightened by the introduction of personal relationships and the reveal that one of the characters,Tayler (April Matson, is pregnant. This allowsVileto explore themes of morality as well as human endurance and power dynamics. There is dialogue around the fairest method of selection, whether any individual should have priority over others.
The movie shows how, in the face of danger, there are human capabilities to work together, but this facade can easily slip when people feel threatened and selfishness takes over. There becomes an over-reliance on a herd mentality and the tyranny of the majority can become excruciating to watch. Yes, the actual character depth may fall a little flat,but as a study of the human condition, it is a fascinating exploration of extremity.
Taylor Sheridan Has Disassociated Himself From ‘Vile’
Vileis a total contrast to therest of Taylor Sheridan’s careerto the point that he doesn’t even consider it his debut. He is much more commonly associated with his modern take on the Western genre, fromTulsa KingtoMayor of Kingstown. When speaking toRotten Tomatoes, he explained that a friend of his “raised 20 grand.. and cast his buddies, and wrote this bad horror movie." After his friend started production, he freaked out and called for help, so Sheridan offered to direct it as a favor. He didn’t have creative input, but he instead “kept the ship pointed straight” whilst someone else edited the movie. It wasn’t a futile effort for Sheridan though, as he told RT that “It was an excellent opportunity to point a camera and learn some lessons that actually benefited me onWind River.“Vilewas never really Sheridan’s project, so it is not a full introduction to his work, but it makes for a fun addition to the “Hollywood elite who got started in horror' list.
Vileis available to stream on Tubi.
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