- Director: Bari Kang
- Writer: Bari Kang
- Stars: Bari Kang, Douglas Stirling, Tim Andrews, Ximena Uribe, Patrick Michael Valley
REVIEW
Jay (Kang) is a widower, his daughter Olivia is struggling with this and is refusing to speak to him. The only way she communicates is through pointing and writing, and the only noise she makes is a humming sound. Jay is struggling to deal with his situation as well, mounting bills and life piling on top of him, Jay barely notices that there is something going on in the city, the news report and the sirens eventually hit home, and Jay becomes aware of the itch. No one knows anything about it, only that if you start itching, then you’ll scratch either yourself or someone else to death. Jay, Olivia and some others find themselves locked down in Jay’s fathers store, hoping to keep whatever is outside from coming in.
Writer and director Kang has crafted a smart zombie thriller, focusing mainly on the personal struggles of Jay and his daughter Olivia but also managing to infuse this film with a migrant slant. The tension is slowly ramped up as the situation becomes more dangerous and everyone trusts everyone less and less as the time passes.
All the actors are excellent, selling the entire film. All of the performances really enhance the tension between the characters, and Kang’s writing makes the most of the quiet moments. Then, when the shit hits the fan and things start getting crazy, the cast does a great job of conveying this.
Kang’s first foray into the horror genre is a successful one. Finding the terror inside the personal interactions between humans, despite the literal threat being outside. Itch! proves the zombie genre isn’t played out, it just requires fresh perspectives.
Ryan Morrissey-Smith