Since before time began, there has been a battle between good and evil. With the banishment of the fallen to earth, evil continues to walk in the shadows. Left unchecked, the evil will continue to terrorize in an effort of taking over the world for themselves. The need for someone to emerge to destroy them is great for without this hero the world will ultimately be lost. That in mind, Director Ben Jagger and Writer/Actor Dean S. Jagger, along with Writer Christopher P. Taylor, offer up that hero in Corbin Nash, which is set to hit theaters, VOD, and Digital HD on Friday, April 20, 2018 thanks to Gravitas Ventures.
The film opens following a cadillac with blood oozing out of every unsealed crack. The Blind Prophet’s (Malcolm McDowell: A Clockwork Orange 1971, Halloween 2009) deep, commanding voice narrating and setting the stage for the ultimate battle of good versus evil. Corbin Nash (Dean S. Jagger: Game of Thrones series, The Hunters Prayer 2017) is a New York detective who is down on his luck. A serial rapist that he caught was released on a technicality.
Nash’s parents were murdered the year before in Los Angeles with no real leads on the perpetrator. While drowning his sorrows at the bar, a stranger (Rutger Hauer: Blade Runner 1982, The Hitcher 1986) approaches him with new information. His parents were not the people they seemed. They were killed because they were demon hunters. Nash does not believe this at first, but it is the only lead he has. He moves his life to L.A where he continues to work as a detective, now looking for the lost in the city, but also digs deeper into the city’s underbelly searching for answers and hungry for revenge.
During his search, Nash comes faces to face with Vince (Richard Wagner: The Paddy Lincoln Gang 2014) and Queeny (Corey Feldman: Goonies 1985, The Lost Boys 1987). They are an odd pair of flesh hunters. Vince is strong and stoic, while Queeny is an insecure crossdresser desperate to be seen as beautiful. They take Nash into the underbelly of the monarchy where he must fight in a ring made of human flesh for not only his but the other captives survival. He survives and, with the Blind Prophet’s encouragement, taken in by a stripper named Macy (Fernanda Romero: Eternamente tuya 2009, 400 Days 2015). Vince and Queeny find out he is still alive and make it their personal mission to correct what they believe to be the monarchy’s dire mistake. They use Macy as a means to try and get their revenge on Nash. The evil that Nash faces becomes all consuming and time is quickly running out.
Nash is now at a turning point. Will he let the darkness in and become like those who killed his parents, or will he find a way to fight back? Can he fight the darkness? Will he finally be able to avenge his parents’ death? Or will the evil that roams the night dominate and continue to feed and destroy the world?
First off, the casting in Corbin Nash is brilliant. Other choices might have made the film feel campier and would have completely ruined the entire viewing experience. McDowell’s voice cuts through the opening scene as well as throughout the movie chillingly setting the stage of the ancient battle brought into the present. His voice alone and the eloquence in which he delivers the weighted dialogue immediately throws the viewer into the darkness that the film is exploring. The presence of The Blind Prophet is never actually addressed until much later in the film, but his very existence is the key that holds the entire story together.
Feldman’s Queeny is visually jarring at first. He is neither ugly nor beautiful, but rather strangely appealing. Somehow, every time Queeny is onscreen, he becomes more and more attractive and desirable. Feldman as Queeny is phenomenal. Yes, Queeny is a bad guy; however, Feldman embodied the character so well every time he appeared on screen it is difficult not to become entranced with his beauty and charisma. Couple him with Wagner’s Vince, who is intense, has extreme mommy issues, and a deep obsession for Queeny, and the perfect pairing is born. The relationship between the two is a bit bizarre but it works because of the magnetism between the two actors is so piercing it electrifies the screen. It leaves the viewer yearning to see more of the two together and to know as much as possible about their backstory. They are not merely just evil monsters in search for sustenance, but actual terrifying entities with their own agendas.
Corbin Nash is a very complex film. It follows the journey of revenge and rebirth of Nash, a man who is still struggling to overcome the murder of his beloved parents, but using an occult twist. Nash is a deeply flawed character. Dean S. Jagger portrays him as cold and stoic, but it is obvious from his actions and the many personal tattoos on his body that he cares more than he will ever vocalize. The fact that the demons/vampires are the reason for his tortured soul brings the film to a completely different level. It is not simply a vampire film, but one that attempts to explore the darkness that is within us all. With everything falling into near perfect harmony, it is easy to hope for and expect another film to continue with Nash’s saga.
Demon/vampire movies have become a dime a dozen. It is easy to become lost in the genre. In an effort to stand out, a lot of films over think the evil and end up losing the fear and power that vampires should capture. Corbin Nash is not one of those. It succeeds in giving vampires back their power and they have become scary again. Dialogue, characters, and casting all align perfectly to create an atmosphere of paranoia and fear when the sun goes down. It is for these reasons that CrypticRock humbly gives Corbin Nash 4.5 out of 5 stars.
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