When Ben (Matt Whelan) inherits a mysterious house, one that has been in his family for years, he never expects to find himself fighting for his and his family’s lives. However, when they arrive at their newly acquired home, they find that the water tank in the yard is home to a horrific creature that has tormented and tortured his family for generations. Once The Tank is opened the creature is unleashed, and now Ben and his family are in for the fight of their life.
The Tank has an attractive woman, a somewhat dimwitted, but well-meaning man, a juxtaposition of light and dark, a glimpse into the past paired with a sense of hopefulness present in the younger generation. It has everything necessary for a horror film to come to life and be successful, and, yet, something isn’t quite right with each of these elements. It’s almost like Writer-Director Scott Walker knew what would drive this film forward, but isn’t quite able to use these things to their full potential. I certainly don’t dislike the film, that’s not what I’m trying to get at–but I’m struggling to come up with the words that accurately define how I feel about The Tank. The film is seemingly just left of center, just off the beaten path of remaining in touch with reality and truly being gripping an audience.
I think the biggest miss in terms of the entire production is the lack of character development. We get pieces of who these individuals are sprinkled throughout the course of The Tank, but never enough to make them whole (an issue far too similar to the full film). As the film developed, and the story along with it, I never found myself rooting for anyone (only hoping that the dog would survive until the end). Without creating characters that viewers can connect with and relate to, films can struggle to reach their audience. That’s exactly what happens here in The Tank. I wanted to appreciate Ben and his wife Jules (Luciane Buchanan)–but I just wasn't able to connect.
What Walker and his team do well is use sound to drive the film forward, to develop suspense. This was the film’s saving grace, this was the thing that allowed viewers to connect to the film and feel the intensity that Walker hoped would exist throughout the course of The Tank. The score is splendid, composed of songs that may initially feel out of place, but are fun, and dark, intense music that helps not only to supplement certain scenes, but develop them. This aspect of the film finds its footing early, and it creates moments of ecstasy, excitement, and darkness–and it ultimately guides the film toward some success. The Tank endures a series of hiccups throughout its entirety, but sound is the one thing that remains consistent and effective.
The Tank is intended to be dark, drawing viewers into horror from the opening moments. The sound helps to bring that to life, but just about everything else takes away from it to a degree. My biggest issue is the lack of character development, as they are incapable of connecting with viewers. With some struggles along the way The Tank can be off-putting, but I believe there’s enough there to warrant somewhat of a successful run for some niche groups–but it walks a fine line between failure and success.
Written & Directed by Scott Walker.
Starring Luciane Buchanan, Matt Whelan, Zara Nausbaum, Regina Hegemann, Jack Barry, etc.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐½/10
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