When disenchanted 20-something Cooper (Chris Marquette) is fired from his job, he thinks he’s having a bad day. But he ‘aint see nothing yet. Waking up several days later cocooned in a web with no memory of how he got there, Cooper makes the horrifying discovery that his hometown has been over-run with giant bugs. Teaming up with a group of survivors, including the feisty Sarah (Brooke Nevin), Cooper must step up to his new heroic responsibilities and save the world – and win the girl, of course.

Taking its cue from classic B-movies, Infestation is a hugely enjoyable creature feature that mixes old-school horror with modern CGI techniques to great effect. The bugs themselves take centre stage; looking like oversized cockroaches they are genuinely scary despite their – most likely deliberate – rough-around-the-edges look, particularly as they interact so believably with their live action environment.

And heading up the human cast with equal style is Chris Marquette, a prolific young actor previously seen in films like Freddy vs Jason (2003), The Girl Next Door (2004) and The Invisible (2007). Here, he showcases some true leading man qualities. Self-deprecating and extremely likeable, Marquette displays a knack for comedy timing and boy-next-door charm that makes his journey from slacker to action hero hugely involving. And Ray Wise’s turn as Cooper’s bad-ass dad will make many a genre fan smile.

Writer/director Kyle Rankin is clearly a horror aficionado, and has infused his script with all the elements that make a B-movie great; an outlandish premise, OTT performances and killer effects. And it absolutely works; don’t let the straight-to-DVD status fool you, Infestation is a sticky, schlocky treat. 4 stars

Extra Features
Sadly, just a making of. 1 star

ROLL CREDITS…
Stars Chris Marquette, Brooke Nevin, Ray Wise
Director Kyle Rankin
Distributor Icon Home Entertainment
Format DVD & Blu-ray
Released September 7