Review: The Collection / Director: Marcus Dunstan / Screenplay: Marcus Dunstan, Patrick Dunstan / Starring: Randall Archer Josh Stewart, Emma Fitzpatrick, Christopher McDonald / Release Date: Out Now (US), TBC (UK)

Rarely does a sequel live up to its predecessor, but the director/writing team of Dunstan and Patrick have crafted a well thought out, tense film, more than worthy of 2009’s The Collector.

Our heroine, Elena (Fitzpatrick), who is partially hearing impaired, and her friends decide to partake in an underground rave in a deserted warehouse that the Collector has set innovative death-traps for the hapless partygoers. Why? Because he’s the disturbed psychotic he is!

With Elena, being the lone survivor, she stumbles upon a large, steamer trunk and before you can say, “What’s in the box?” in your best Brad Pitt imitation, Arkin (Stewart), the professional thief who met an ambiguous end in the first film, stumbles out warning her to run for her life.

Arkin barely escapes resulting in a broken arm from a fall along with multiple contusions and abrasions as the sinister, masked Collector glares at him having lost one prize, but gained another in Elena.

Recuperating in hospital, Arkin is persuaded by Elena’s millionaire father (McDonald) to lead a group of mercenaries to bring her back as he has knowledge of where The Collector’s chamber of horrors is. Reluctantly, Arkin, nursing a broken arm complete with cast, agrees to do so and this is when the hunt for the villain in his deadly maze begins as the group sets out to rescue Elena before she becomes part of his gruesome collection.

Fitzpatrick and Stewart turn in top-notch performances while working under some heavy conditions in the film. Both had done a majority of their own stunts adding to the realism of being pursued by the Collector who seem to always be one step behind them. 

Actress Erin Way, as Abby turns in an excellent performance as The Collector’s slave doll discovered by Elena that was locked in another trunk in a room designed for a little girl. A creepy role to begin with, is Abbey to be trusted as she leads Elena to a safe way out to freedom or is she as mad as a hatter leading Elena to her death?

Cinematography by Sam McCurdy is outstanding and atmospheric, along with music by Charlie Clouser whose score adds tension to the film’s chilling moments.

The Collection is a cornucopia of inspired traps and there’s no shortage of blood and guts to please the gorehound crowd.

Expected Rating: 5 out of 10

Actual Rating: