The Block Island Sound – Review

Ominous noises open our experience as a small boat floats in the ocean unmanned. Or so we think, as Tom Lynch (Archambault) wakes up on the floor of the ship. There is a mess all over the boat, including dead fish. Things are strange.

Dale (Cummings), Gerry (McCabe) and Harry (Sheffield) sit at a bar sharing beers. Dale has conspiracy theories about mind control. He has a lot to say about all sorts of stuff, but at least he draws the line at lizard people. Harry heads off to drive home and Dale goes with him. On the journey, a bird flops onto the car out of the night sky. Things remain strange.

At home, Harry’s dad Tom is acting very weird after his fishing boat trip. Is he sleepwalking, or is it something else?! Harry’s sister Audry (McManus) takes her daughter Emily (Lawler) to visit Block Island, Rhode Island, in order to help with her family’s troubles. Will the Lynch family be able to figure out what it is going on? As nine or ten tons of dead fish wash up on the shore, will the small community be able to reconcile with that? Is something nefarious afoot?

The Block Island Sound may be low budget, but it has an interesting feel and creepy atmosphere. It is a slow crawl, but contains a decent script, good sound, and well-done direction. The acting is fitting and brings out the right emotions, while a strange setup plays out during a short enough runtime to stay fresh. It raises plenty of questions, but not everyone will love the ending resolutions.

Those looking for fast paced horror action and pop-out surprises won’t find it here, but if you dig mysterious psychological madness and overwhelming creep, you may be able to get into this one. The shots are well framed and set the stage for the story. The deliberate pacing worked just fine for me, and I feel like the writers/directors did a lot with little resources.

Not everyone likes this one, as plenty of critics dug it, but lots of viewers complain about most everything. For me, it was solid overall and I liked the eerie setup and most of the characters. It may not be a revolutionary time, but for a good low-budget chill fest it has its moments. Come join the Lynch family’s battle against unknown insanity and cryptic forces.

“No, no, something’s wrong with Dad…”