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Beacon 77

Synopsis

In a run down London apartment block, Beacon77, three computer hackers are attempting to break into the world’s most complex and secure mainframe to try and unlock the answers to the most mysterious code ever discovered. When the student of one of the hackers turns up unexpectedly with her friend in toe, a series of seemingly insignificant events fall into place to unlock a supernatural force with murderous intent. Is it by chance this group have been thrown together or is there more to this web of manipulation, paranoia and murder?

Reviews

Another world premiere for Fanomenon, and this time it’s for home-grown talent Brad Watson. Beacon 77 would perhaps be best described as an supernatural techno-thriller, but it’s genuinely hard to describe what it’s really about without spoiling the narrative. God, cypberspace, hactivism, superpowers and fate take over the small London flat where Sarah and Zoe join an anti-establishment, conspiracy theory spouting group of hactivists, including the bitchy Kendra and the wheelchair ridden misogynist and iconoclast Declan, obsessed with the potential of the 4th and 5th dimensions of time and space. Unsettled as she learns more about the group’s intentions, Sarah becomes trapped when she tries to leave. She learns the true nature of this dissident mysterious group: hacking into the Vatican to uncover secrets of the universe hidden in the bible using a complex code, and whether their program may be hold the key to god-like, omnipotent powers by traversing past the 3rd dimension. But someone or something won’t let it be that easy: demonic apparitions fill the apartment, visions begin to take hold of the girls, psychic spies at Pentagon try to reach them to help, and, as the group try to cling to their sanity, one power hungry member will become a terrifying force that may not just mean the end for all those in Beacon77, but the world as we know it. Like a cyberspatial Da Vinci Code, this is conspiracy theorist pleaser is heavy on combining themes and genre elements, with a somewhat complex yet rewarding plot which has high re-watch value. Disparate genre elements are exactly what makes this film so hard to define, but perhaps this is a good thing: why should cinema be pigeon-holed to a specific genre? It is certainly brave to explore such huge subjects as technology, religion and fate in one film. There are intensely creepy moments, mind boggling sci-fi when we are introduced to theories extending past the 3rd dimension, and perhaps controversy as the approaching of religion in any film will be undoubtedly controversial to some. The theme of technology’s interference with traditional forms of power and what happens when the power to manipulate time and space in the wrong hands is definitely a head scratcher, and tackling the issue of fate towards the end brings another huge concept to a film primarily set in just on small flat, but the claustrophobic feel makes an outstanding contrast to the huge concepts which are being dealt with here. The sense of inescapability gained from the claustrophobic tone complements the dingy, urban aesthetic well. With last year’s The Disappeared (LIFF 08) and fellow Fanomenon 09 film Heartless, the urban thriller is definitely a growing genre. But again, with Beacon77, this is just one genre touched upon along with genres as disparate as cyberpunk, religious thriller, and supernatural horror, a combination which some may not be fan of. The sense of needing more time to explore the complex themed addressed may herald some annoyance by the times the credits role, but Beacon77 will nevertheless get you thinking. A few stand-out performances, most notably Declan (Jonathan Rhodes), and an intricate, well thought through script put a cap on any confusion at the massive concepts dealt with, but undoubtedly a second viewing is a must to fully traverse the frantic speed at which Watson’s heady vision commences thematically. It is surprising and thoughtful, and an absorbing example of the best that British genre cinema has to offer.