Directed by Ryuehi Kitamura
Review based upon the Lionsgate Blu-Ray release
Adapted from the short story of the same name by Clive Barker, “The Midnight Meat Train” arrives direct to DVD in the UK after a limited theatrical release in the US. The first American movie by Japanese director Ryuehi Kitamura (who was responsible for the fantastic zombie flick “Versus”) promises to be the perfect marriage of creative minds, but does this work manage to live up to such high expectations?
Leon Kaufmann (Bradley Cooper) is a struggling photographer, living with his waitress girlfriend Maya (Leslie Bibb) while looking for his big break. Acting on the advice of artist Susan Hoff (Brooke Shields), Leon starts to look for more extreme visions of New York at night. After preventing a mugging of a model on the subway, Leon sees the woman get onto a train safely, only to read about her disappearance in the newspaper the next day. The next night Leon spies the strange figure of Mahogany (Vinnie Jones) leaving the subway and becomes convinced that this man is somehow linked to the girl’s disappearance. Leon sets out to discover the truth, realising that Mahogany is a butcher with a terrifying secret, threatening the lives of everyone around him. But what is it that lies hidden in the depths of New York?
Clive Barker is a distinctive writer, whose filmic adaptations usually lack the visual flair associated wit
h his distinctive literary style unless (as with “Hellraiser”) he adapts his own ideas. Indeed, to date only “Candyman” stands as an accurate interpretation of the author’s work by another creative force. Yet with “The Midnight Meat Train”, Barker’s style and tone is evident in almost every frame, ensuring a thoroughly accurate descent into the darkness of his psyche. The screenplay by Jeff Buhler is pitch perfect, delivering believable characters whose transition is convincing at all times. In addition he creates some impressive set pieces to flesh out the brevity of the original short story.Most impressive of all is the direction by Kitamura, who unlike his Japanese contemporaries Hideo Nikata and Takashi Shimizu doesn’t dilute his visual style to suit the transatlantic crossing. “The Midnight Meat Train” looks fantastic, and is very close to the aesthetics of the original “Hellraiser”; all bleached colours, extreme environments and incredible amounts of violence. Kitamura proves himself a technical expert on many occasions, the camera flying all over the place as well as in fluid 360-degree twists and turns. The most impressive moment in the whole picture occurs when a woman is attacked on a subway train, the shot flipping effortlessly to POV images as her head is severed, gazing upon the remains of her own body.
The cast are very strong indeed, especially Bradley Cooper as the main protagonist who carries the film’s transition from daylight to darkness with conviction. Cooper even looks like a young Clive Barker at points, which gives the picture an interesting angle for those seeking additional meaning. Most surprising of all is Vinnie Jones as Mahogany, who only has a single line of dialogue at the very end of the flick but is truly a terrifying presence throughout the entire running time.
As previously mentioned, “The Midnight Meat Train” certainly doesn’t skimp on the violence factor, being fully loaded with typical Barker imagery such as hooks through ankles, eyes being gouged out and
bodies hacked to shreds. The effects are well handled overall, but the occasional use of CGI is a little jarring when it makes an appearance.As usual with a story by Clive Barker, the plot focuses on the slow psychological unravelling of the main character, and the conclusion of this film is as shocking as we’ve come to expect. “The Midnight Meat Train” delivers the vision of the horror author with aplomb, but most importantly this is a genre entry that has incredible style thanks to the technical wizardry of director Kitamura. Only a foreigner like this Japanese auteur could have possible given New York such a desperately unpleasant and otherworldly feel, something he must be applauded for.
“The Midnight Meat Train” is the best Clive Barker adaptation since “Candyman”, and a tour-de-force for Ryuehi Kitamura. Dark, brutal, vicious and engrossing, this is a picture that thoroughly deserved to have a wide theatrical release in the UK instead of merely being shoved out onto DVD. This requires a strong constitution for sure, but the talent demonstrated both on and off camera makes this an essential view for any discerning genre fan. Recommend this to everyone you know to ensure its reputation as one of the most underrated horror movies of the year continues to grow, as it more than deserves the title.
9 out of 10
A gore-filled powerhouse of a movie, technically brilliant and soaked in atmosphere… the best Barker adaptation in over 15 years
