Courtesy of D Films

This September, hit horror sci-fi film The Void hits its 10th anniversary. Starring actor Aaron Poole (who starred in creepy movies The Conspiracy and The Last Will and Testament of Rosalind Leigh), the 2016 indie flick landed amidst a revival of retro and nostalgic horror. Hit TV series Stranger Things was making a name for itself, as was Barbara Crompton’s Beyond The Gates. There was clearly a market for productions that gave us a taste of the past, and The Void hit our screens at the perfect time, whetting our appetites and giving us a flavor of the ’80s in all the best ways.

The Void does for hospitals what Blair Witch does for camping…you get the idea, right? Exploring the themes of aliens and other realms, we follow Poole’s character as he finds someone who is very hurt, near some local woods. Heading straight for a nearby hospital with the injured man, the nightmarish fun starts. The film portrays the cast as they fight for survival whilst in the hospital overnight. The Void quickly gained somewhat of an underground cult following, and it’s easy to see why.

The Void was a crowdfunded project, but it does a lot on its limited budget. Tense, dark, and nail-biting, it more than does its job in delivering true horror. Online reviews see many fans feel it has a Lovecraftian feel to it, and it’s fair to say it appears to have a shade of that in it.

Courtesy of D Films

This scary flick explores themes of aliens and other worlds. unfolding through Poole’s character – Daniel Carter – (who is on night shift as a Deputy Sheriff) as he finds someone hurt and bleeding by the woods. He immediately takes the victim to a local hospital where things take a turn for the worse, and it soon becomes apparent that an evil entity is stalking the hospital grounds.

Lead actor Aaron Poole does an impressive job in his central role; he clearly seems to love his work in horror. I reached out to him recently to explore his feelings and impressions of the much-loved project. “It’s a relatively uncommon experience to make an indie that has any kind of enduring appeal,” he states. “I’m really proud of what Steve and Jeremy created.” How does he feel about his personal input in the movie? “I was new to the genre and approached everything in a very earnest way- but I loosened up and had fun getting covered in gore.”

What were some of Aaron’s favorite moments from the production? “Well,” he states, enthused, “I freakin’ loved the Beverly monster. The whole sequence that’s bookended by shooting Bev, then dealing with the arrival of the Father and Son, and closed out by the discovery of Bev’s… extra arms…. It was a marathon. There were so many ideas on how to make it happen, and we tried them all. It was pure chaos and creativity. Awesome cast mates. Total fog of war and exhaustion.”

The retro vibe is such a big element of The Void; it is almost a character itself. “Yeah, the nostalgia tone is big for sure,” Aaron agrees. “I’ve grown to love a lot of the grimy flicks from the late ’60s and ’70s… If a new team has the right brains and taste to tap into that authentic danger and vision, I personally love it. There are certainly versions that can afford to recreate the period better,” Aaron admits, “but then there are back alley projects like The Void that make up for empty pockets with their energy.”

I couldn’t end our chat without asking Aaron why he felt The Void had hit audiences the way it had, and why it has managed to have such an enduring appeal…

“I think the creature and makeup effects are among the best for something with our budget,” he states. “We committed to our performances, for better or worse, and brought energy to a script that doesn’t pander. The parts of the plot that aren’t explained are inexplicable. Not knowing and unknowing, maaaan. Ya dig?  That’s some cosmic dread. It’s got gusto and knows when to shut up. Which I’ll now do.”

When I first watched The Void, I was actually a patient in a hospital. I had undergone a traumatic medical emergency, which resulted in me staying in a hospital for quite a long period of time. In my tiny room, there was a small, dusty TV with a DVD slot (yes, it was years ago; DVDs were still the main thing for us movie addicts), and I decided to watch The Void during my stay. It made for quite the authentic setting. Sitting alone, late at night, I put on the film and could easily let my mind go to that place where fantasy blends with the possible; where the implausible suddenly seems all too real.

I loved the way the horror made me feel so nostalgic for classic films from bygone eras. I also loved the way The Void managed to capture that traditional old-school horror vibe but still managed to twist itself into something fresh, unapologetic, and engaging. Due in no small way to the amazing performance of Aaron Poole, it was a flick I had an affinity for from its first viewing.

I think the reason the film resonates with its audience is that it isn’t afraid to be fun as well as freaky. The special effects are something to behold, and for a low-budget indie production, it certainly manages to hit the mark. Ten years on, The Void certainly has a firm hold on audiences. A fun yet freaky film, brilliantly cast and heavy on the retro, it has all the right ingredients to keep us engaged and coming back for revisits.

Tags:Aaron Pool Jeremy Gillespie Steven Kostanski The Void

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