Reviewed by Rama Gaind.
Writer/director: Scott Walker, Rialto Distribution.
A story of a young family who inherit a remote and long-abandoned coastal property in Oregon, The Tank is a horror thriller. It sees Ben and his family accidentally unleash an ancient, long-dormant creature that terrorised the entire region, including his own ancestors for generations.
Oregon, 1978. Ben Adams (Matt Whelan) and his wife Jules (Luciane Buchanan) are in for a surprise after learning of this property that Ben’s recently deceased mother never told them about. Not knowing what to expect, the couple travel to the secluded home with their bright-eyed seven-year-old daughter Reia and dog, Archie. Untouched for 40 years, the house looms like an eerie relic over land which includes a stunning private cove and beach. The beauty and tranquillity of the place leave the family with the nagging question: why was this property kept a secret for so long?
While Jules rummages through the house looking for answers, Ben goes to repair the buried water tank that supplies the home with fresh water from an underground reservoir. An enormous, dank space, Ben slides down into the darkness, unplugging the blockage, not knowing that in doing so he is unleashing a long dormant creature, fiercely protective of its environment.
As terror closes in around the family, Jules finds a diary which reveals the horrifying truth about the disappearance of Ben’s father and sister.
Scott Walker (The Frozen Ground) described The Tank as a “new type of creature survival horror film and universe, that will excite and terrify audiences … It’s inspired in part, by what my family went through during Covid. It’s also about the lengths of courage and strength, this family will go to save each other, when their lives are threatened by an unstoppable evil, that humanity has reaped upon itself.”
- The Tank is available to buy or rent from 28 June
