Indie
[Review] ‘Belly of the Bulldog’ is Overtly Cryptic but Impressive
The UK has an interesting track record with military-themed horror movies. From Neil Marshall’s Dog Soldiers to Michael J. Bassett’s Deathwatch, it’s always a blast to witness hardened combatants face off against otherworldly foes and unfair odds. British director Nick Gillespie continues this entertaining trend with his sophomore feature Belly of the Bulldog (previously titled Tank 432).
Belly of the Bulldog stars an ensemble cast, featuring Rupert Evans, Deirdre Mullins, Michael Smiley, Steve Garry and a few others as a group of mercenaries and their human cargo who end up trapped inside an abandoned tank after being pursued by a mysterious figure. As their confinement begins to take its toll, these unlucky soldiers of fortune slowly realize that there’s more to their mission than meets the eye.
Though almost any horror movie where the protagonists have access to military weaponry or training will be inevitably compared to James Cameron’s Aliens, Gillespie’s feature is a much more claustrophobic venture into the human psyche, more akin to something like Vincenzo Natali’s Cube. Most of the film does take place within a stationary tank, but some clever directing keeps things constantly interesting. The tank itself ultimately feels more like an adversary than a location, as the protagonists’ forced isolation becomes more intimidating than the monstrosity lurking outside.
Luckily, there are more than a few talented actors trapped in this confined space with the audience, which also helps to keep things fresh. Since the plot itself is slightly too cryptic for its own good, competent character interaction is what really moves the film forward. Nevertheless, the vague script makes it hard to root for these characters, as you’re simply not given enough information to decide who deserves to survive.
In a way, Belly of the Bulldog‘s ambiguity is simultaneously its greatest strength and greatest weakness. While the story does a great job of creating suspense by limiting our knowledge of the mercenary group’s backstory and mission details, it also makes things hard to follow. This leaves the film feeling slightly muddled, with confusing plot points that make it hard to care about whether or not these characters will make it out alive.
Nevertheless, Belly of the Bulldog is a legitimately thrilling ride with much more up its sleeve than you might initially realize. The movie never felt cheap, despite the obviously limited setting, and there were some genuinely creative ideas being thrown around. The plot can be quite frustrating at times, but it’s worth hanging on until the bizarre ending attempts to tie up all the loose knots. If you can deal with leaving the theater with more questions than answers, than the film is definitely worth a watch.
Her House of Horrors, the horror division of Independent Production House WOMXNOGRAPHY, has launched its Bite Size Short Grant Program, ahead of its film festival Dollhouse of Horror, which will take place in March 2025 in Los Angeles, CA.
The Bite Size Short Grant Program awards $2,000 film grants to female-identifying and queer horror filmmakers. Shorts must be able to be made for $2,000, with a minimum runtime of 8 minutes. Submissions are now open on Filmfreeway, and are being judged by a panel of horror lovers and content creators.
The 2024 Bite Size Short Grant Program judge lineup is as follows:
“James H. Carter II- A documentary director, film producer, podcaster, marketing specialist, and writer. James is the founder and co-owner of Creepy Kingdom. Creepy Kingdom was founded in 2011 and is a multimedia website, and production studio specializing in creepy content. Their primary focus lies at the intersection of childlike fantasy and the macabre, covering horror films, theme parks, haunts, and much more. Beyond their extensive media coverage, Creepy Kingdom hosts events, offers original merchandise, and engages in film production under the Creepy Kingdom Studios brand producing original films like “Foolish Mortals”, exploring Disney’s “Haunted Mansion” fan culture, and “Georgie”, featuring Tony Dakota from the original “It” miniseries.
“In addition to founding Creepy Kingdom, James has won awards for his documentary work, including the award-winning “Foolish Mortals,” which has earned him recognition. He has been featured on Freeform’s 31 Nights of Halloween special.
“Ashleeta Beauchamp is the editor-in-chief of Peek-A-Boo! Magazine, a cheeky horror magazine created to uplift marginalized writers, artists, models and other creators within the horror community. She also runs The Halloween Coalition, a community group to provide support and marketing for horror and Halloween events around the Southern California area.
“Titeanya Rodríguez is a multi-hyphenate creative, and the founder and owner of HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, home of DOLLHOUSE OF HORROR and the horror division of WOMXNOGRAPHY. As a fellow storyteller and a self-proclaimed artivist, Titeanya’s mission is to create opportunities for women of color and queer women, across film, tv, sports, music, and beyond. She is also the creator of the BITE SIZE SHORT grant program.”
Winners will have a one-night theatrical screening at Regal Cinemas. Submissions Close April 8 at Midnight. Winners will be announced on May 27, 2024. Shorts must be shot and through post-production by June 30, 2024. The screening will take place on July 8, 2024, in Los Angeles, CA.
WOMXNOGRAPHY, HER HOUSE OF HORRORS, and Rodriguez are represented by Azhar PR, Granderson Des Rochers, and Kinsella Holley Iser Kump Steinsapir.
To submit your short to the Bite Size Short Grant Program, go to the FilmFreeway link here.
Looking for New Episodes of “Chucky” on Peacock? Here’s What Changed
Five Underseen Vampire Horror Movies to Stream This Week
Dev Patel’s ‘Monkey Man’ Is Now Available to Watch at Home!
‘The Blair Witch Project’ – Original Stars Release a Statement Asking Lionsgate for Residuals & Recognition
‘Mountain Man’ – Joe Manganiello Will Battle Zombies in Upcoming Horror Movie
