Nerds That Geek Movie Review: 'Condemned'

Written by Scott Edwards

I forget when it became the in thing to do, but house flipping was a huge thing for many years and anyone who had the drive to do so made a fortune. This continues to happen in the buyer’s housing markets and with a new coat of paint, most of these flippers can make a very good living. But you need to know what you are getting into when trying to flip a house, mainly if there are serious issues that you will not be able to handle on your own, because those things cost a whole lot more money that you might never see again. Then there is also the history of the house that can come into play, especially if there was a tragic event that took place there, or something that will prevent you from completing the job.
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After the recession took away most of Malcolm’s life, it he has been squatting on his last piece of real estate. Getting a visit from his good friend Sonny, Malcolm is forced to come to terms that he needs to get his life back in order once again, especially since he owes people money. Trying to get the inspiration to renovate his last property, Malcolm finds out that there is something strange about the master bedroom and will need to find out why it is smaller than on the original plans for the house. But this will take some time, as Malcolm’s days are filled with drinking to cover up something nasty that happened in the past.

Hearing muffled screams coming from what appears to be a false wall; Malcolm decides that it is time to find out what the previous tenant was hiding. Taking his trusty hammer and putting holes in the wall, Malcolm starts pulling out some strange artifacts and does not know what to make of them. With enough evidence that there were at least a woman and a little girl that lived in the house previously, Malcolm gets a fresh set of eyes on the new finds. Being urged to call the police by his neighbor Sally to find out what happened to the women, Malcolm decides that it would be best and makes the call.

Getting visited once again by his good friend Sonny, Malcolm hears that the financial trouble is worse than expected and he needs to sign over the lease, so his friend can keep the bill collectors at bay for a short while. With the promise of finding something that may be worth some additional value, Malcolm takes his friend down to the basement, but he has something else on his mind. After disposing of the body, Malcolm gets a visit from a detective that gives him little faith that anything will be done to find the previous tenants. Needing to find out what happened, Malcolm goes on a drive that will re-open his repressed memories, but not in a good way as he starts to remember what really happened in the house.

Even though this was really a slow burn movie, it did keep the story moving, especially when it came to the mystery of what happened to the previous tenants of the house and it featured a well-deserved payoff at the end. From the start of the movie, you get a real feel for the down on his luck Malcolm and how bad life has treated him since the recession. Being a recluse and constantly drinking his life away in the house, he does find a light in his neighbor Sally that could bring him back to the land of the living, but it means that he will be forced to face his inner demons. With a creepy house, a fake wall, a hammer, some creepy mannequins, plenty of drinking and suppressed memories, this is really an interesting movie that will make you wonder if there is anything from your past that can keep you from moving forward. Stay Scared.

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