14 CAMERAS
Producer: Seth Fuller and Scott Hussion Director: Scott Hussion and Seth Fuller Writer:
Victor Zarkoff Stars: Neville Archambault, Chelsea Edmundson, Amber Midthunder, Hank
Rogerson, John-Paul Howard, Brytnee Ratledge, Gavin bWhite, Lora Martinez-Cunningham,
Brianne Moncrief, Zach Dulin and Kodi Saint Angelo Studio: Gravitas Ventures
Voyeurism of a most extreme sort was the subject of Victor Zarkoff?s ?13 Cameras,? a low-
budget thriller that grew increasingly implausible as it progressed but was nonetheless tightly
constructed and genuinely creepy. The sequel expands things by adding not only another
camera but needless subplots, and the tightness evaporates. ?14 Cameras? becomes a flat,
pointless bore, marked by poor writing and slipshod construction, as well as flat directing and
amateurish acting.
In ?13 Cameras,? the villain, creepy landlord Gerald (Neville Archambault), simply spied on
his tenants until fatally intervening in their troubled lives. It was a slim story, but for the most
part was crisply staged and executed. This time around, Gerald is more of an entrepreneur
who rents out a baker?s dozen of camera-equipped homes, footage from which he streams
out to paying customers on the dark web.
He still, however, has his own perverted interests. He keeps Claire (Brianne Moncrief), the
pregnant housewife from the first movie, imprisoned in an underground chamber, and when
one of his renters, Sarah (Chelsea Edmundson), almost catches him rambling about in her
house, he tosses her in as well, though he never seems to have contact with the women
except for occasional trips to bathe them tenderly. In one plot thread, Sarah attempts to
escape despite Claire?s warnings not to?good advice, as it turns out.
In any event, after a pointless prologue involving a couple (Zach Dulin and Kodi Saint
Angelo) who simply banter for awhile before disappearing in their car, the focus shifts to a
new bunch of renters: parents Arthur (Hank Rogerson) and Lori (Lora Martinez-
Cunningham), their daughter Molly (Brytnee Ratledge) and her horny younger brother Kyle
(John-Paul Howard), who has the hots for Molly?s friend Danielle (Amber Midthunder), their
guest. Much of the movie is given over to desultory footage of them, enlivened only when
one of Gerald?s customers decides to pay the girls an unwelcome visit and Gerald
intervenes to protect them.
By this time, however, Junior (Gavin White), a teen who lives with Gerald (and may be the
son Claire never knew), investigates what his ?guardian? has been up to and decides to
save Claire, and the family will become engaged as well. But though http://bit.ly/2PfQcQ4 ?s
flow of footage will halt, a coda is added to suggest there might be life in the old goat yet and
the hiatus in his work output could be temporary.
Though Zarkoff wrote the script for this sequel to his surprise little succs d?estime, he passed
directing duties along to producers Seth Fuller and Scott Hussion, who exhibit little flair for
structure or pacing and are unable to draw anything but the most elementary performances
from the cast, although it must be admitted that Archambault remains a menacing presence.
Fuller also served as cinematographer, and shows little aptitude in that capacity either. Editor
Zach Lee gives the picture no perceptible rhythm, failing to inject any excitement into what is
pretty flaccid footage.
For discerning genre fans ? http://null ? was a surprisingly effective little thriller about a
twisted guy and his hapless victims. This time around, the haplessness is to be found in the
filmmakers. ?14 Cameras? is a thoroughly unnecessary and disappointing sequel.