FrightFest Review: Sequence Break (2017)

A shy technician who works on old video arcade games find his life and reality under threat from a mysterious game in the arcade, at the same time he begins a relationship with a woman who enters the arcade...

There are times when a film wears its influences on its sleeve proudly. Sequence Break certainly does that, There are the influences of body horror from the likes of Videodrome, the gaming aspect of Tron to name two. However, writer and director Graham Skipper, goes for a low key approach with his film, one that works well.

The central mystery at the heart, the video game and the mysterious mother board that arrives to be installed inside it, is one that I think the film doesn't quite fully explain. It's mentioned that the technician, Oz (well played by Chase Williamson) has dreams of designing and creating his own games and the events towards the end, in a slightly confusing and yet interesting ending suggest he's involved in causing the events in the film, but how this all ties together doesn't fully work for me. However, despite this, I did like the ending, which fitted a film about video games well indeed.

The effects in the film, which, it has to be said, have a sexual aspect to them, are done very well, certainly more practical effects than CGI, for the most part, which as I said, owe a debt at least to Videodrome.

Graham Skipper directs the film very well, drawing good performances from his cast. Aside from Williamson, Fabianne Therese as Tess, the woman Oz meets, Lyle Kanouse as Jerry, Oz's boss and John Dinan as a mysterious man who turns up asking and warning about the game are all pretty good too.

However, where the film does fall down a bit is in Skipper's writing. The character writing isn't great, Tess being almost too perfectly written as a character to be truly effective. And, as I mentioned, I'm not sure the whole central mystery fully works.

Despite this, I did enjoy the film. Like Incontrol and Radius, other films shown at FrightFest, not every Sci-Fi film needs a huge budget to deliver on interesting ideas. Often, with a lower budget, you get a more interesting film.

Sequence Break may not deliver entirely on its premise, but even with its flaws, I liked the film a great deal and think it's one worth watching if you get the chance.

Rating - 3/5