After Hours screening - review - THE STATION by Marvin Kren

After zombies, Marvin Kren deals with freaky mutant creatures in the Alps in his new horror feature The Station.

Marvin Kren returns to the horror genre after bringing a new kind of humanity and dignity to the zombie genre with his breakthrough hit Rammbock in 2011. This time he takes on the creature feature with The Station, the story of a group of scientists up in the alps and a gruff technician who, on the eve of receiving a visit from a minister of the government, encounter a strange kind of species that originated from a blood covered glacier. 

In the first part of the film, we see the same type of maturity that had distinguished Kren’s previous work. Particularly in the central character of Janek, the technician who has signed up for a four year contract in the isolated setting with his loyal dog to forget a recent heartbreak. There is a lot of humanity, for instance, in his internal conflict as he looks after his dog after he is bit by one of these devilish creatures. In the second part of the film, things bet a little flimsy and less remarkable. 

A parody type of eccentricity takes over and the concept of the mutant creatures collapses under its own messy weight, which is particularly disappointing considering what a great job Kren had done in making it believable in the first part. On top of that, new characters are introduced, and with them some cheesy subplots and satirical peculiarities. For instance, the woman minister with a comic book like tough and fearless personality even appears an Angela Merkel figure, and it’s particularly funny to see her snap in anger at any sign of weakness and vulnerability anyone else may show. What’s more is that the second part of the film also seems to introduce certain political connotations, somewhat satirical, that are not unusual to see in horror films but that here appear laughable and unnecessary if noticed. 

It must be said that the film’s effects are excellent and on par with the American equivalents. The creatures do look terrifying. But it’s also true that, for a horror film, The Station is a little lacking in true shocks though it is menacing and unsettling with its creative use of that gore appeal. The Station is certainly interesting and entertaining, though it doesn’t particularly stand out and doesn’t particularly seem solid.