Macabre...ish Horror Review: Citadel

Citadel, 2012/ 84 min

A young man trapped in an elevator watched his pregnant wife being attacked by some kids and he is powerless. His baby survives but he loses his wife, he is traumatized by the ordeal and struggles to cope.

Tommy (Aneurin Barnard) plans to leave town, in part because he fears losing his daughter. And this guy cannot catch a break, it’s always one thing after another going wrong. And kids of a certain age plus the hostility of certain townspeople keep him on edge. There’s this feeling that everyone is in on a secret that he knows nothing about.

 And about those kids, there’s something up with them, they are violent and aggressive. Tommy is certain they want Elsa.

 There’s a priest (James Cosmo) who seems to know more than most, he knows what they are, what they want and what attracts them. And he has a plan but he wants Tommy’s help. This priest, like the building that houses child size horror, has secrets. And it’s the cancer killing this community.

This Irish movie is sad and bleak psychological horror. I just feel hopeless most of the time, this young dad’s helplessness is sometimes hard to watch. There’s very little blood and few effects, this flick is not particularly graphic and might be an easy watch for those who don’t want to see everything.  I did enjoy the story and the end was a welcome relief.