“The Welder” Movie Review

 

“The Welder”

Movie Review

 

The film "Welder," directed and co-written by David Liz and Manuel Delgadillo, stars Camila Rodriquez, Vincent De Paul, Roe Dunkley, and Crist Moward and follows Roe and Eliza, a young couple on a weekend getaway, who come face to face with the harrowing experiments of a former doctor bent on curing the social blight of racism. Camila Rodriguez's Eliza runs through the rain as voices yell in the background. It's disorienting, like something out of a nightmare, and that's exactly what it is. Eliza is sleepwalking, and only the timely arrival of her boyfriend Roe played by Roe Dunkley prevents her from walking into a lake.

Roe books them a weekend at a ranch he saw online after remembering how much fun he had at his grandparents' ranch, hoping it will help reduce her stress levels. Of course, we all know that won't happen.

The first act is packed with ominous scenes, such as Eliza's nightmare, shots of a man chopping up raw meat and leaving it in the woods, missing person posters on the way to the farm, and so on. And the farm's owner, played by Vincent De Paul, and handyman Don, played by Crist Moward, are both creepy.

Something sinister is clearly going on, but The Welder is up to more than just scaring people. Eliza and Roe are a mixed-race couple, and in a flashback, we learn that William's now-deceased wife was African American. He devoted himself to ending racial hatred after her death, which is a noble cause, but what can one man in the middle of nowhere do? Does the film's website describe it as "Frankenstein" meets "Get Out" give you have any ideas?

As you might expect, this results in a very mixed message. One that could be interpreted as a condemnation of anti-racist activism and mixed marriages. Because in The Welder, those who believe racism is wrong are insane, and mixing races results in literal monsters. Liz and Delgadillo clearly didn't think it through completely when writing the script, but they ended up way off track.

When viewed solely as a horror film, The Welder fared slightly better. Despite the heavy-handed foreshadowing, Liz manages to create a fair amount of tension by the time the couple arrives at the ranch. Unfortunately, it quickly unravels as it becomes clear that Dr. Godwin is indeed playing God. There's nothing wrong with modernizing the Frankenstein story. However, the methods employed here are ridiculous and would be more appropriate for a bad spoof than a serious film.

Despite the plot, there isn't much in the way of effects, with the exception of some bloody stumps that are both practical and convincing. Given the potential of a madman wielding a welding torch, it's a shame the budget didn't allow for more. It would have at least helped to justify its inclusion in the film.

The Welder is a well-executed technical achievement. Liz has a background in cinematography, which is evident in several drone shots emphasizing the ranch's remoteness and some creepy camerawork in the forest and the old house. James Hall's sound design is excellent, adding a gruesome touch to several scenes.

WATCH THE REVIEW VIDEO FOR MORE...