The Aggression Scale

I didn’t believe in this film until the very last minute. I have the director, Steven C. Miller (Scream of the Banshee, Automaton Transfusion), classified as incompetent and I didn’t think that could ever change, but The Aggression Scale is fairly good, surprisingly. In recent years, the “home invasion” horror-thriller sub-genre has produced plenty of interesting films (Kidnapped, Them, Mother's Day, Strangers) and this one, though not flawless or among the best, in its brief 80 minutes manages to be entertaining, tense, nicely shot and brutal enough to satisfy viewers without much problem. What’s really good is the atmospheric and moody score. What pissed me off, on the other hand, were the characters. The main villain, who looks like an angry, second-rate clone of George Clooney, was alright, but the victims (headed by an insufferable teenage girl who whines the entire first half and screams the entire second half because she hurt her hand) didn’t gain my sympathy. Strong three stars and an unexpected thumbs up. (29.04.2012)