Nerds That Geek Movie Review: ‘Brooklyn 45’

Written by John Edward Betancourt

Jeremy Holm as “Archibald Stanton”, Ron E. Rains as “Bob Sheridan”, Ezra Buzzington as “Paul DiFranco”, and Anne Ramsay as “Marla Sheridan” in Ted Geoghegan’s BROOKLYN 45. Photo Credit: Courtesy of Shudder. A Shudder release.

Caution: This article contains spoilers for the motion picture, ‘Brooklyn 45’. This article also contains discussions regarding suicide and self-harm. Which may be triggering to some individuals.
​
For the most part, horror stories that are eager to examine the human condition or society as a whole, tend to stick to one particular examination in their storytelling and understandably so. After all, sometimes trying to do too much in a story, can force the movie or the show, or the book, to lose focus and in essence… go off on tangents. Not to mention, going all out and examining all the things, could also dilute the examinations in question, and provide the viewer with half formed thoughts on important topics. But above all, it is usually done for the benefit of the viewer. So, they don’t feel overwhelmed, as though they’re in the midst of an intense and powerful lecture on the worst parts of mankind. 
​
Which in turn begs the question… is it possible to pack a horror movie full of multiple threads of commentary? As it turns out… it is. Provided of course a few key things come into play. Specifically, through the script. For if the writer takes the time to properly figure out how weave the commentary and observations into a story in a manner that is thoughtful and organic, then there is a good chance… a genuinely powerful and thought-provoking horror film can come to life and believe it or not… there is a brand-new horror film on Shudder that pulls off that particular feat. For Brooklyn 45 is a horror tale that examines not only the underlying racism and xenophobia present in American society to this day, but it also examines the destructive power of trauma and how America as a nation, tends to treat its veterans as second-class citizens.

Which is a lot to examine, but it is all handled seamlessly here, courtesy of a brilliant script from writer/director Ted Geoghegan, that offers up a masterful plot in which to hide all of those elements. For in this story, we are transported to a brownstone in New York City during December of 1945, wherein a group of old friends/war veterans have reunited during the season to comfort a former commanding officer. Only to learn that on this night, he is eager to do more than just reminisce about days gone by and the glory of victory. On this night, he’s desperate to communicate with the spirit of his late wife, to learn about the exact reason why she took her own life. And his decision to dig deep into the past, is not only going to resurrect old ghosts, but old demons and new ones amongst the group as well. 

---

That just so happens, to be the perfect plot to segue into all of those elements. Since the initial surprise of Lieutenant Colonel Clive ‘Hock’ Hockstetter’s desire to commune with the spirit of his wife, and the decisions he makes concurrent to that desire… lead to the heartbreaking examination regarding trauma and its impact upon the human mind and psyche and how damaging it can be without support. Not to mention, that too speaks to how we treat our veterans, since there’s no care available for Hock to process the passing of his wife. Just silence and a thank you for fighting the Germans and that leads to some powerful and horrifying moments for certain… the kind that transform into the other commentary threads in question.  
​
Because once it becomes clear, just how deeply Hock has sunk them into the spirit world, the fear that is present over the horrors everyone else faced in fighting the Germans and the Nazi regime, bubble to the surface and just like that… we come to learn a great deal about the duality of American ideals and how fear and a lack of understanding of the nature of the world, and its peoples, creates the racism and xenophobia we still deal with today. Which leads to some sobering moments for certain, the kind that feel ripped from the headlines of everyday news and truly leave us pondering upon the nature of American Exceptionalism and its relevance in the world, since it seems to close us off from other cultures. A move that genuinely creates fear and distrust when we should be embracing the wonder of the world. 

However, while it is incredible to watch a film that has this much to say, in many ways those elements make it seem as though this isn’t a horror story at all, and more of a deep look at the flaws in America. But there are scares to be found here as well, the kind that are genuinely creepy and horrifying, and downright impactful. Not to mention, the whole story is sold via some incredible acting. For the ensemble gathered here truly bring the concepts in question to life, and the fear, and well, in the end, this is a horror feature you absolutely need to see. For not only is it eerie and unsettling, but it is incredibly intelligent and leaves us with plenty to think about. For it is bold in its storytelling and does everything it can to prove that horror stories can in fact, load us up on impactful commentary and thoughts and still entertain us along the way, and all it takes… is a little care, and a lot of bravery, to tell a unique story that uses the human condition as the foundation to terrify us.

---

Powered by JustWatch