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Cast: Nikki Moore, Scott Wilson, Scott Mitchell Nelson, Douglas Bennett
When a young woman (Nicole Moore) is brutally killed by an intruder, her husband (Scott Wilson) and estranged father conspire to bring her back from the dead with the help of a mysterious desert dweller (Douglas Bennett). Soon after she awakens, she begins to realize that something is horribly wrong.
"Kiss The Abyss" might seem a bit confusing at first as it jumps around from present time to some flashbacks that fill us in on what is going on. As the film opens we see three men driving in a car through the California desert. Then the film switches to a young man and his wife in bed together. Through these flashbacks we find out that Mark and Lesley are indeed a married couple that are struggling money wise, there is talk of the woman's rich father but for whatever reason she does not want his help.
We also find out that the couple live next to another couple and the boyfriend is an abusive jerk to say the least. One day he is assaulting his girlfriend outside and Mark jumps in to stop him. That night the boyfriend decides to get revenge by entering Mark and Lesley's home with a bat in hand. Aiming to use it on Mark the boyfriend accidentally strikes Lesley with the bat and kills her. Flash forward again and we find the three men have reached their destination in the desert. It seems the father is paying this strange dude in the desert who claims to be able to bring Lesley back from the dead. It doesn't take long to realize that this isn't going to end well when Lesley's brother spots a creature behind some plastic sheets but the father insists on having his daughter brought back anyway.
After all is said and done they leave and attempt to move on with their lives, Lesley seems fine at first but it doesn't take long before her appearance and behavior begin to change dramatically.
That is the basic story line, to talk about the plot anymore here would only ruin the film for those waiting to see it. "Kiss The Abyss" is an effective horror film that proves playing God can be monstrous, it is a twisted and nasty tale that really gets under your skin. The whole idea of bringing someone back from the dead like this is a bit creepy to begin with but once Lesley begins to experience changes the film hits a another level of unimaginable horror. The film keeps you on the edge, waiting to see what is going to happen next. It's a clever and highly original horror flick, being original is one of the film's strengths since we just don't see many new ideas on film anymore. The film's other strength is it's fantastic cast, Nicole Moore and Scott Wilson are both terrific as Lesley and Mark and the supporting cast all do a great job including Douglas Bennett as the film's demented version of Dr. Frankenstein, this guy really goes beyond weird.
Originally released in 2010 and only now coming to home video is a bit puzzling to me. I hope this isn't the last we hear from Writer/Director, Ken Winkler either. A film that gets in your head and makes your skin crawl, "Kiss The Abyss" is a unique horror film I highly recommend checking out when it comes to DVD on February 26, 2013.
Released by Monarch Home Entertainment
**** Out Of *****