I enjoyed "Population 436", I have to admit! Sure it was very predictable and a little too tame for my usual liking they could have used a bucket or two of fake blood but director Michelle Maxwell Maclaren maintains a nicely uncanny atmosphere and everyone involved in this production showed a lot spirit. "Population 436" feels like an honorable throwback to the 'creepy little town with a dark secret' sub genre of the older days. It's very similar to films like "Dead and Buried","The Wicker Man", "Messiah of Evil" and in a way even to the almighty Hershell Gordon Lewis' classic "2000 Maniacs", with its plot about the remote little village of Rockwell Falls that holds the same number of inhabitants since more than a complete century. Government worker Steve Kady (Jeremy Sisto) is sent to investigate the registering habits of this little town, only to realize the locals are a bunch of deeply religious lunatics who believe they have to keep their number on 436, otherwise God will severely punish them. Steve is warmly welcomed as a new township member, but that of course means that someone else has to be sacrificed. Writer Michael Kingston tries a little too hard to keep the events going on in Rockwell Falls a secret, even though it's all fairly obvious since the opening sequences already. This approach nevertheless results in a couple of creepy and ominous moments, like the fantastic highlight during the town's autumn festival, but there never are any real surprises or shocks to experience. As stated previously, the film also could have used a little more bloodshed, as that is the least you expect from crazy inbred rednecks living in isolated areas. Still, I very much admire the effort and, since I'm a sucker for unhappy endings it gets another extra point. The filming locations are splendidly chosen and so are the eerie musical tunes and camera viewpoints. The acting performances are far above average with Jeremy Sisto as a convincing hero and the beautiful Charlotte Sullivan as an amiable local girl. Heck, even Fred Durst did a fine job and I'm really relieved that none of his songs were on the soundtrack. Recommended!
Review of Population 436
