Tin Can — Tin Can(Blu Ray)
Tin Can is a claustrophobic, at times decidedly unease Sci-fi film, which blends in elements of body horror and glum artiness. The film focuses on the near future, where a fungal-based pandemic is sweeping through Canada’s human population. One of the key scientists behind the cure lands up being kidnapped & placed inside a tin can-like medical treatment facility- hence the film's title. Here from Epic Pictures is a Blu-Ray release of the film- featuring director/writer commentary, a making-of, and a few other things.
Tin Can is a 2020 Canadian film- it was directed/ co-written by Nova Scotia-based Seth A Smith. He’s a filmmaker/ visual artist who has been active since 2010- he’s made seven shorts, and two other feature-length films. His other feature lengths are The Crescent (2017) which was a horror/ mystery finding a mother and son struggling to find spiritual healing at a beachfront property. And in production The Willows- which is based on a gothic novella by Algernon Blackwood. Set in 1906, it charts two brothers lost on a backwaters canoe trip, who are been stalked by an otherworldly predator.
After its slowly downwardly scrolling & foreboding shape-based credits- we meet our lead character Fret (Anna Hopkins), who is working in a lab with the rather awkward and nervous John (Simon Mutabazi). The pair have seemingly just found something to cure a Fugal virus that is sweeping through the country- the virus starts as white-like growths on the skin, before slowly encasing the outside & inside of the victim's body. She is having a stressful day, so pops out the labs back door- next thing she’s knocked on the head, and when she comes round, she is in the ‘tin can’
The 'can' is just over person size- her feet set in fluid, with her sat-up body having a tube down her throat, and various tubes into her body. There is a small screen with a glitch-bound welcome message on it, and a series of strip lights at the side of her- these slowly go on as time ticks by. The first half or so of the film finds Fret inside the can, as she tries to understand her surroundings, finding there are others next to her in other cans.
The last half of the film takes us out into the strange and shadowy facilities where the body cans sit- and the strange body-suited figures that seemingly look after it. In between our time in the tin & facility, we get a flashback to Fret’s life before, and how it might link to those around her.
As you can imagine with a concept/storyline like the above, the key element to Tin Can is claustrophobe. But of course, added to this we get the fear of disease and medical procedures- as when we’re in the 'can', we get all manner glugging’s, panic, and pain. The unease is nicely realized by what lies behind it all, who is in the next-door can, and course what happens to those who are taken out of the cans. We get fleeting shots, of what the fugal virus does- but these are largely seen in half-light, or semi-seen- which is a wise move for clearly a fairly medium/ small budgeted film.
For the most part Tin Can is an effective sci-fi thriller, with body horror elements. Some of the early scenes/flashback acting are not the greatest, but as a lead/ main focus, Ms Hopkins does well as the trapped Fret. Not to give anything away, but I could easily see a sequel/spin-off from this film, as there are some neat ideas here, which I can really see being expanded very well.
Moving onto the region free Blu Ray. And this features a three-way commentary track, between the film's director/co-writer, the other writer, and (I think) the production designer. This is a fairly standard directors/ writers track- it’s chatty enough, and we find out some interesting facts/behind-the-scenes stories. They begin by talking about the credits, and how they meant to create the feeling of descending to hell. We find out the director purchased a slime mould to create the slides in the film. We get a brief mention of the non-set/ locations, and how they cropped and edited these. They talk about the chapter headings, which weren't planned- but made sense when the film was done and edited. They chat about the different types of on-set slime, the use of reverb to create claustrophobia, and the lighting used was scripted. Later on, they talk about how the tin can sets took quite a battering, and elements cut from the script/ changed. How the suits for the sinister keepers of the warehouse wore, weren't wholly conformable and a few more things. It’s a just ok track, which is a little sporadic/ dull in places- so I’d say you’ll have to enjoyed the film to play it. We have The Last Bell Does Toll (29.09) which is a making-off, which begins with showing us the film's storyboards, and the impressive set being built. Last, we have two music videos, and a trailer.
In conclusion, Tin Can rewardingly distils together well claustrophobic Sci-Fi, arty grimness, and body horror tropes. It will appeal to anyone who is looking for a chilling, yet quite thought-provoking/ timely Sci-fi film. And it’s great to see there are folks still making genre films well/ fairly original.