PATRICK is a good looking horror film that makes you jump and squirm. Director Mark Hartley’s PATRICK is an excellent remake of the 1978 Australian film. Updated with computers and other modern gadgets Patrick still maintains a dark and gothic sensibility.

Kathy Jacquard (Sharni Vinson) is a young nurse, fleeing a relationship breakdown, who arrives at a former convent that is now used as a research and treatment facility for patients in a vegetative state. She is given a bleak and disconcerting welcome from Matron Cassidy (Rachel Griffiths) and after interrogation from Doctor Roget (Charles Dance) is offered employment.

All the classic components of a horror film are on display here. Cinematographer Garry Richards has given us wonderful dark and moody lighting, flickering and spluttering lights and great flashes of lightning. There are plenty of scenes where the young nurses sneak around the vast building and are shocked by unexpected appearances of the matron, or smashing objects and twitching patients. There is a fair amount of gore but it is not excessive and the numerous close-up scenes of needles being administered are more distressing.

The well written characters maintain our interest. We know that the young nurse Kathy is a good character and probably in deep peril but it is not entirely clear whether the matron, the doctor or the comatose Patrick (Jackson Gallagher) is the evil presence.  The support cast of Damon Gameau, Martin Crewes, Rod Mullinar, Eliza Taylor and Peta Sargent is consistently strong & the film is well directed.

PATRICK is an intriguing and frightening film that contains enough black humour to be entertaining without descending into silliness.