The writings of author Clive Barker have had, with few exceptions, a tough time translating to the big screen. In this instance it's not a softening of the imaginative and perverse imagery of his short story that scuppers proceedings (as that arrives more or less intact); rather it's the attempt to pad it out to feature length with some rather rudimentary characterisation and tired jump/scare tactics.
New Yorkers are mysteriously disappearing after travelling on the subway. An artsy photographer, Cooper, finds he has accidentally uncovered a few clues and he is sucked in, rather too quickly and confusingly to be credible, to a larger and older conspiracy.
Japanese director Ryuhei Kitamura, who kicked off his career with 2000's impressive micro-budget zombie flick Versus, delivers plenty of stylish visuals and an admirably unrestrained attitude to gore. The scenes on the train are brutally effective, but much of the good work is undone when the action careers off the rails. Having half the characters involved in the NY art scene doesn't engender much sympathy; it's hard to tell if it's intentional or accidental that they come across as jerks who pretty much get what they deserve.