Artik is one of the most bad-ass indie horror thrillers to surface. There is so much to absorb from this film and it continues to hit you even after it ends.
Holton becomes an unintentional ally to pre-teen Adam an abused boy speeding down a very dark path. Their unintentional friendship will set off a dangerous chain-of-events that will leave your jaw on the floor. Adam's parents, played skillfully by Lauren Ashley Carter (Gags) and Jerry G. Angelo interact with Adam, but neither are who they present themselves to be. A bit of misdirection at the beginning is purposeful, yet effective to the progression of the story. There are a couple of areas that leave the viewer to make some assumptions of their own but it's not a huge misstep and doesn't pull you out of the film.
Watching Artik is like watching a train wreck, as in you can't look away. It's as if you are a voyeur and shouldn't be seeing any of this. It's shocking, uncomfortable and gruesome but you desperately need to see how and if the chaos will resolve. I love the psychology of this film as it explores the argument of are killers born, made or a combination of both. As well as the nature versus nurture theory. Just how much does our environment shape the person we become?
Watching Artik is like watching a train wreck, as in you can't look away. It's as if you are a voyeur and shouldn't be seeing any of this. It's shocking, uncomfortable and gruesome but you desperately need to see how and if the chaos will resolve. I love the psychology of this film as it explores the argument of are killers born, made or a combination of both. As well as the nature versus nurture theory. Just how much does our environment shape the person we become?