The A-Frame (dir. Calvin Lee Reeder)

By: Adam Freed

How does this premise sound for a horror film?  A mysterious quantum physicist appears from nowhere and claims that he has found the cure for cancer. Meanwhile in the depths of his less than reputable looking lab in the industrial corridor of town the recently diagnosed Donna (Dana Namerode) is lured by his claims and embarks on an atom splitting procedure to save her from becoming an amputee.  Writer and Director Calvin Lee Reeder’s science fiction horror The A-Frame offers a creative premise yet fails to deliver anything more than the unshakable shroud of disappointment.

The A-Frame is a film destined to satiate the late night programming needs of the SyFy Network, but certainly shouldn’t move anywhere close to the priority watch list for even the most avid of science fiction or “b” horror fans.  The dagger in the heart of this sci-fi miss begins on the pages of a script that provides limited logic behind the interconnectivity between characters.  Lacking in performance, purpose and payoff, Reeder’s film leaves far more questions than it provides answers.  While the film does offer a momentary and comedic climax, it is unclear if comedy is the intent of the film, but nonetheless the moment is memorable.  It doesn’t take a quantum physicist to determine that a formula combining  a muddled story, static characters and a rocky plot does not equal a positive moviegoing experience.

Target Score: 2.5/10 Lacking in almost every conceivable criteria of evaluation, The A-Frame is a science fiction horror film to avoid. 

The A-Frame was screened as part of Movie Archer's coverage of the Tribeca Film Festival