Trailerblazing -- Tau

Tau (2018) -- June 29, 2018 -- directed by Federico D'Alessandro -- starring Maika Monroe, Ed Skrein, Gary Oldman, Fiston Barek, Ivana Zivkovic

Serving up an intriguing premise reminiscent of Cube, this film is out on Netflix next week. Yes, it is YET ANOTHER one of those women-as-captives works that I was criticizing a few months go, but it does show an empowered principal character and a story with potential, so that is a plus. Kidnapped and imprisoned in a technologically advanced dungeon by Skrein's maniac, Monroe's character needs to bypass a sophisticated computer system in order to escape, discovering other secrets along the way. Academy Award winner Gary Oldman is the voice of the system, showing once again that he can play anyone. Monroe has found her niche in the horror/thriller genre, starting with the kinetic The Guest and the incredible It Follows, and Skrein seems chilling in a very different role for the actor. It needs to be said that the house is a character in its own right; the elaborate visuals and labyrinthine set design are not surprising, considering that director D'Alessandro has worked as a storyboard artist with Marvel and on films such as Where the Wild Things Are and I Am Legend. There are unique effects to feast one's eyes on, as well as gorgeous and creepy sequences hinting at cool twists. Since there are not too many mystery/thriller films being released these days, Tau might possibly reboot that trend if it ends up bringing something new to the genre. Give this abode a chance.