DEMENTIA Review

Release Date: December 4, 2015 (Limited and VOD)
Director: Mike Testin
MPAA Rating: NR
Run Time: 90 Minutes

Mike Testin’s feature debut, Dementia, attempts to bring a new spin on the paranoid thriller genre by incorporating the titular illness into the narrative, an inherently horrifying real-life disease that makes us confused and question the motives of those around us – perfect fodder for such a film.

Interestingly, Testin also injects elder abuse into the movie, another hot-button topic that’s a widespread issue yet rarely discussed. While an exploration of these two issues begins intriguingly enough, Dementia falters in its final act and doesn’t quite stick the landing.

George Lockhart, a curmudgeon-y war vet played perfectly by the always-wonderful Gene Jones, has a stroke after helping a local youngster get rid of some neighborhood bullies, which sparks the onset of dementia. In order to help him in his recovery, his estranged son and granddaughter (Peter Cilella and Hassie Harrison) come to visit and hire a mysterious nurse (Kristina Klebe) who, conveniently, appears at his door one day. After the first couple of days, the nurse begins acting strangely and starts probing into George’s past before enacting a series of torturous deeds.

The initial setup of the film is promising and one that all-too-often happens in real life; someone who has been weakened by old age and a disease is being terrorized by someone close to them, and there is seemingly no way out. George is trapped, both in his mind and physically in his home, where his perpetrator happens to live. It’s a frightening thought and, as someone who previously worked with the elderly and people with dementia, it’s a topic I’m all too familiar with.

Unfortunately, Dementia reveals its hand a bit too early, and when the bit twist is exposed, it’s neither a shock nor does it really make any logical sense. The script takes the story down an already well-worn path, and it’s in its climax that the film demotes itself from a suspenseful thriller to a cliché-ridden horror film that will leave a bad taste in your mouth.

Nearly holding the ship afloat, however, is the standout performance by Gene Jones, who absolutely nails his role and simultaneously makes me wonder why he’s not currently a household name. Hopefully his upcoming part in The Hateful Eight will remedy this. It’s rare that I would recommend a film that turns out to be such an average affair based on a single actor’s performance, but this might be one of those scenarios.

With its decent production, solid first two thirds and Jones’ performance, Dementia is worth a guarded recommend.