by Martin Unsworth

Brooke (Agnes Albright) and Tanner (Andrew Bailes) are out enjoying their pastime of photographing abandoned places. They enter one enormous place, ignoring the comments from their friend CJ (Caito Aase) that it could be full of mould (we’re British, so will use our spelling!) or worse. Tanner even has an instant allergy reaction when they get in. They find out the hard way that they’re not alone, as an agitated vagrant (Jeremy Holm) thinks they’re “here for him”. Things settle, but Brooke is triggered when the man calls her by a name only her father used. This brings up disturbing memories of his suicide and her subsequent trauma.

Using the hallucinogenic reactions of the titular mould present in the building, writer/director John Pata explores how family tragedy has a genuine impact on later life, even if it’s been buried. There are flashback scenes from Brooke’s past that twist into disturbing nightmares. The urban exploring aspect is handled impressively, with the cinematography of Robert Patrick Stern making the most of the eerie, rotting buildings. Brooke and Tanner’s fear increases as the infection of the mould grabs hold of them, and all the actors excel at portraying the terror that they perceive around them. A moment with a trio of scarecrows is particularly creepy. A thunderstorm turns it into an abstract ‘old dark house’ picture.

At the heart of the film is Brooke’s past and her guilt at what happened, the crumbling, decaying building echoing her fragile mind, soured by a tragic event. It relies less on traditional jump scares and wins at being an effective, ominous, and ultimately explosive psychological piece.

Black Mold had its international premiere at Pigeon Shrine FrightFest on August 25th.