‘Brooklyn 45 Review: Claustrophobically Intense Period Horror Showcases Excellent Performances
Supporting Agatha Christie and 12 Angry Men, writer-director Ted Gegan (Mohawk) effectively keeps the tension going by starring in Brooklyn 45, an episodic drama with supernatural themes. A small group of World War II veterans participate in a class where the ghosts of the dead do not pose a serious threat to the participants. After entering the competition to premiere on June 9, the film that will shake up streaming services will surprise you with a well-crafted program that will make subtle observations about paranoia and xenophobia, as uncomfortable as breaking news, in response to gunfire on the ground.
On a cold December night in 1945, Lieutenant Colonel Clive "Hawk" Hockstetter (Larry Fessenden) is called to Park Slope, Brooklyn Brownstone, along with four friends who, like him, have recently been traumatized by their war experiences: Marla Sheridan (Annie Ramsey), strong power of persuasion; former army recruiter; Her husband is Bob (Ron E. Raines), who clearly loves his wife but equally hates talking about her sophisticated investigative methods. Major Archie Stanton (Jeremy Holm) is gay (but not entirely convincing) and dismisses reports that he has unintentionally killed innocent civilians in conflict situations. and Major Paul DiFranco (Ezra Bushington), a badly wounded medical officer who is deeply concerned that his good friend Hawke might get sick because of charity.
Hawke is genuinely worried, and for good reason: a few weeks ago, his distraught wife Susan committed suicide after repeatedly trying to convince the authorities that their seemingly innocent German neighbors were actually unguarded Nazi spies. Togo hopes to deal with another tragedy - or so - Huck joins his friends to talk to Susan, if only to make sure she's safe on the other side. The friends reluctantly sat down at the table in the stone room and shook hands. Nothing good will come of it.
Brooklyn 45 has a distinct stage feel, as much of the action, including the afterlife and the introduction of an assistant, takes place in a locked room. (Of course, with a few changes to the script, Guegan could probably turn the film into a comedy.) But this self-imposed restriction adds to the tension of the pressure cooker, as the paranormal action is masterfully balanced. A person, alive or not, always brings out the worst in every character. Cinematographer Robert Patrick Stern and production designer Sarah Sharp, who used a color palette reminiscent of a low-budget computer programmer from the 1940s, have been acclaimed for their inspiring contributions to the process.
The meeting is interrupted by a late arrival: Hildy (Christina Kleb), in a thick German accent, categorically denies that she, her husband, and their unborn children are Nazis, despite Susanna's accusations. But there are still doubts about how Marla earned her reputation as "America's best detective," even after she brutally tested Hilda's reputation. And a bad situation gets unimaginably worse when at least one person is in the living room and suspect.
It's hard for Gegan to offer much in a plot summary without spoiling the nasty surprises he's planted like so many mines in his business. Brooklyn 45 can rightfully be called a horror movie, in which some of the most dangerous monsters on the scene are flesh-and-blood creatures that slowly reveal how they take control of their past. Ramsay is the first of the great actors, but the biggest shock to the audience is the other actors. Rest assured, you will never see this.
