Scar Tissue   Starring: Charity Wakefield, Danny Horn, Shaun Dingwall, Helen George, Tom Rosenthal and Kenneth Colley Distributor: Sterling Pictures RRP: £9.99 WWKDVD3747 5 012106 937475 Certificate: 18 Release Date: 16 February 2015

Luke Denham is taken to a pole-dancing club and is plied with drink for his birthday. The next morning he wakes up in his flat and discovers the horribly mutilated body of a young woman. Sam Cross is a currently suspended police detective who has been haunted mentally ever since her sister was abducted, tortured and killed by the notorious child killer, Edward Jansen. She is convinced that this recent killing and other recent deaths are due to his work. However, Jansen was killed years before in a hail of bullets by armed police. The killer is taunting Luke, so he and Sam attempt to uncover the truth. But the real truth is something nobody could have suspected...

Firstly, let me say a word or two about my review materials. Organic Publicity supplied a very nice full colour promotional sheet which, serves as rather a stark contradiction to the disc itself. Instead of receiving a ‘finished’ disc in its retail packaging, I simply got a DVD-R blank disc-recorded version, with the barely legible title scrawled on it in red marker pen. I’ve never understood this disrespect and general distrust for the reviewer. I’m expected to offer the film my consideration; in other words, to give due time and patience, but it’s more than a little disappointing to not have that reciprocated. And now I’ve said my piece, on to the film itself.

It’s great to see another home-grown horror film. This one has Charity Wakefield, Danny Horn, and you might recognise Shaun Dingwall who played Rose’s dad in Doctor Who. There’s also a Doctor Who connection with music composer, Mark Ayres, who wrote music for the show in the 1980s.

I would classify Scar Tissue as a horror/thriller; the horror element has a tantalising over-lying hint of the supernatural, although the reality is closer to a se7en-style serial killer police procedural.

Charity Wakefield is very good as the suspended cop with a history and plenty of psychological baggage, Detective Sam Cross. However, I have to say that not only does she look too young, but the likelihood of her having successfully qualified as a police detective is slim considering she is a completely unbalanced mess. There is also an appearance by Tom Rosenthal, from the amazingly bonkers Friday Night Dinner. The bad-tempered detective who clashes with Sam on a regular basis is compelling to watch, and the impression is he’s sparring with her rather than anything too serious.

The ending is somewhat original, I have to say. I won’t give it away, because it’s pivotal, but none of it would have emerged if one person hadn’t been (nonsensically) given information which causes the truth to all come tumbling out. In that respect, the conclusion is a little contrived. I won’t knock it though, as it’s a nice twist. So, not to the high standard of British horror masterpiece, Hush, but well worth a look. Perhaps I’ll receive a retail DVD next time.

7

Ty Power