Blu-Ray Review: Hangman is a Different Spin on the Home Invasion Thriller

Hangman follows a family whose home a homicidal drifter has taken up residence in while they were on vacation. The madman stays out of sight in their attic but as the days progress, he becomes more daring and begins to taunt the family with a barrage of pranks that eventually escalate to murder.

I liked the casting choices. I usually enjoy Jeremy Sisto (Wrong Turn) and I found him to be a suitable choice for the family’s patriarch. Although, I must say that it was a little bit hard to wrap my head around the fact that he is old enough to play father to a teenage daughter. I grew up watching him in teen movies and to think that he’s now playing the parent of a teenager is a bit of a head trip. Kate Ashfield (Shaun of the Dead) was a smart choice to play the mother figure and her chemistry with Sisto was believable. It was interesting to see Ty Simpkins (Insidious) pop up in a horror film where he actually gets some substantial dialogue.

I am not a big fan of found footage and I tend to get annoyed pretty quickly with films that feature a lot of shaky palmcorder footage. But a great deal of what is show here is presented from stationary cameras that the intruder has strategically planted throughout the house. So, that made the POV camerawork a bit more tolerable. Also, Hangman does more to justify the use of the found footage storytelling method than a lot of other features flooding the subgenre. I’m not entirely sure I could imagine the story being told any other way and coming out quite as effectively.

Seeing everything through the eyes of the killer makes things pretty interesting and it’s not something we’ve seen a million times before. Sure, plenty of films offer POV shots for the kill scenes but it’s something of a rarity to see an entire film through the killer’s POV.

The film is also an interesting and unique spin on the home invasion thriller because the family doesn’t actually realize that their home is being invaded. In more conventional home invasion fare, like The Strangers, the family is well aware of what’s going on but here, the presence of an intruder remains unbeknownst to the family that is hosting him. While that can become frustrating at times, it usually serves to add to the level of tension.

In another somewhat rare move, Hangman was edited by Jeremy Sisto, who also stars. While this might seem like a potential disaster, Sisto actually proves adept as an editor and the completed version of the film offers plenty of thrills and chills to keep the viewer on his or her toes.

As for special features, there really aren’t any. The single bonus feature that comes with the film’s home video release is a trailer. However, I will say that this isn’t exactly a film that demands a great deal of bonus content. So, I wasn’t sorely disappointed. I wasn’t chomping at the bit to check out all of the awesome bonus features I was hoping the film had to offer.

Ultimately, this probably isn’t going to convert any tried-and-true found footage naysayers but those on the fence about it may enjoy what they see here. I must say that I did. Hangman is available on DVD and Blu-ray today. I would suggest giving it a look.

WICKED RATING: [usr 6]

Director(s): Adam Mason
Writer(s):  Simon Boyes, Adam Mason
Stars: Jeremy Sisto, Kate Ashfield
Release: February 9, 2016 (DVD and Blu-ray)
Studio/ Production Co: Alchemy
Language: English
Length: 85 Minutes
Sub-Genre: Home Invasion