Recently released from prison, where she served time for setting her serial killer boyfriend on fire, Mary (Vanessa Grasse) is trying to put her life back together.
With the help of her parole officer (Daniel O’Meara), she lands a job as the overnight cashier at a remote gas station. But Mary’s past refuses to let go; along with experiencing hallucinations (a form of PTSD), she is repeatedly hounded by the family members of those her boyfriend James (Cole Vigue) murdered over the years, many of whom blame her for not stopping him sooner.
And during her first shift at the gas station, Mary’s demons will come back to haunt her in a way she never anticipated.
A shockingly violent horror / thriller, writer / director Padraig Reynolds’ Open 24 Hours features some very effective scenes, including a few that will surely make the gore hounds happy.
If the movie has a downside, it’s the way it handles Mary’s (many) hallucinations, undermining their effectiveness by dipping its bucket into that well far too often (before she even starts at the gas station, Mary experiences at least a half dozen horrific visions).
I still happily recommend Open 24 Hours; Grasse is superb as the troubled lead, and there are some tense scenes scattered throughout. I only wish Reynolds had pulled the reins in a bit with regards to showcasing Mary’s PTSD; less would have definitely been better.
Rating: 7 out of 10
