Nefarious Films Reviews

"Under Surveillance" 2006

Director:  Dave Campfield

Writer:  Dave Campfield

Starring:  Eric Conley, David Rigg, Felissa Rose, Dave Campfield, Fred DeReau

Under Surveillance marks the feature debut of director/writer/producer/actor (busy fellow) Dave Campfield and judging by the quality of this claustrophobic thriller he is destined for a bright future.

Considering that this was made for a little under $30, 000 Under Surveillance looks absolutely fantastic. The lighting is dark enough to be atmospheric whilst still allowing the viewer to clearly discern what is going on. Though this would seem like an obvious consideration it is something that so many smaller budget films fall down on. What this film also does exceptionally well is to work within its own limitations. The action is almost entirely confined to the one apartment building and much is made of limited sets to create a variety of distinctly different locations within the one central location. Under Surveillance never outreaches itself and is much the better for it – flashy effects and sets are no match for atmosphere and story – something this film has in abundance.

There is also some good solid acting on show here – another rarity in low budget productions. The compartmentalized structure of the film means that there are a fairly large number of characters with each of the apartments holding a different person or persons with their own unique story. Every one of these characters is excellently acted with particular standouts being David Rigg who plays the gruff father to the protagonist and Chris Cooke playing a terminally ill resident of one of the apartments.

It helps that all the characters are very well written and this quality of writing extends to the plot as well as the characters. It is a complex story but an intriguing one and as the three young protagonists observe the lives of these strangers the viewer becomes as wrapped up in their voyeurism as they are. When a note appears on one of the cameras saying ‘Stop watching’ it almost feels like the viewer’s dirty little secret has been uncovered. This involvement in the film really aids the story which occasionally becomes perhaps a little too meandering, at times the central plot about the Satanic cult and the murders they may or may not have committed become secondary to the personal stories of the people being spied upon. Even so, with characters this well developed it hardly matters, each of them are fully realized and have their own history and life. This sort of nuanced writing is unusual in many mainstream films, let alone low budget ones.

Under Surveillance does have its problems and flaws, as is to be expected. The central set-up is a little unbelievable for example – the way and means by which the protagonists manage to set up their extremely hi-tech surveillance system for the entire house is conveniently glossed over. There are also a few pacing issues which interrupt the flow of the movie slightly. These really are minor quibbles though for what is otherwise not just a good feature debut or good low budget movie but a quality film in its own right which can stand shoulder to shoulder with anything Hollywood can produce.