Jennifer is an Australian girl on the run from her past who washes up in Amsterdam. In a desperate attempt to stay one step ahead of the authorities, she joins a coach-load of tourists embarking on a tour of Holland’s world famous windmills. When the bus breaks down in the middle of nowhere, she and the other tourists are forced to seek shelter in a disused shed beside a sinister windmill where, legend has it, a Devil-worshiping miller once ground the bones of locals instead of grain. As members of the group start to disappear, Jennifer learns that they all have something in common – a shared secret that seems to mark them all for doom.
The miller is coming for you
Starring: Patrick Baladi, Ben Batt, Charlotte Beaumont
Release Year: 2016 | Runtime: 1hr 29min | Genre: Drama/Horror | Country: USA | Alternate Title: The Windmill | Source: Amazon | Rating: 4.5 out of 5
The Windmill Massacre Review
Put the word “Massacre” in the title of a film and you know I’m gonna click on it. Based on the Amazon poster you might assume the worst. Don’t you dare judge it by the thumbnail picture that does not do this movie justice! Gore, a monster, and an interesting twist all make for a horror night in. Maybe eat before and not during. Just a little tip.
The story begins with a young Australian woman working as a nanny for a family in Amsterdam. When her employer discovers she is not who she says she is based on her passport, Jennifer flees the home not knowing where to go without a passport or money.
After a night of sleeping rough, she returns to the home of her employer. With the family there, she can’t attempt to steal her belongings. Jennifer spots a windmill tour about to leave the city. Feigning losing her ticket the tour guide allows her to board the bus. The tour has an eclectic mix of people from different parts of the world and backgrounds, tourists.
After leaving one of the windmills Jennifer believes she sees the reason for leaving Australia, her abusive father. She screams for the bus to stop and when the bus driver reacts to her pleas, the bus breaks down. They are stranded in the countryside with only abandoned windmills. It isn’t long before the secrets of a nearby windmill and the people on board the bus are revealed.
For starters the cast give convincing performances. You can have the most amazing story in the history of stories, but if it isn’t brought to life when you see a scythe disembowelling the guy next to you, then it’s just blood and a waste of an hour and change. I am familiar with British actors, Patrick Baladi (Douglas) and Noah Taylor (Nicholas), both have done excellent work on the big and small screen. They carry their talent into this film.
The story is meaty for a gut slicing slasher. The setting lends itself to creepy folklore and Tanroh Ishida portrays a Japanese tourist (Takashi) that is key to the plot. Every character is there for a reason and you do get insight as why. Think of this as the folktale/urban legend version of SAW in the countryside.
I’m going to leave you with this parting thought: clogs with spikes. You’re welcome.
This is 4.5 sins out of 5 for me.
V. Castro is a Mexican American writer living in London. She is the author of Maria The Wanted and the Legacy of The Keepers and the forthcoming erotic novella, The Erotic Modern Life of Malinalli The Vampire. When not caring for her children she is writing, exploring London and watching way too much telly. www.vvcastro.com
