Review: Itch! offers poignant psychological terror

Zombie films have a long lineage in horror. From White Zombie to I Walked with a Zombie, early films laid the groundwork for what would later be popularized with George A. Romero’s seminal classic Night of the Living Dead. Countless zombie-infested cuts arrived in the coming decades, including such parodies as Shaun of the Dead. In this day and age, it’s a daunting task to approach the genre with fresh eyes and deliver something worthwhile. Writer/director/actor Bari Kang delves into a gripping exploration of flesh-eaters and the psychological impact on survivors. With Itch!, which recently made its premiere at Dances with Films, Kang sets his story primarily in one location with a limited cast. Within an apocalyptic framework, his story strikes both fear and sadness.

Jay (Kang) struggles in his relationship with his daughter Olivia following the death of his wife. Olivia rarely speaks and lashes out at school by biting her classmates. After picking her up from class one afternoon, Jay brings her back to his convenience store where she spends time being creative and painting a serene landscape. As the clock ticks by, the world outside the front glass doors unravels into utter bedlam. An unknown contagion begins spreading throughout the tri-state area, creating chaos, confusion, and piles of dead bodies. No one knows exactly what it is, but the virus causes the infected to scratch themselves until they tear their skin like elastic and bleed out. Sufferers also attack those around them, disseminating the disease through cuts and scrapes.

The store goes on immediate lockdown after two burglars Miguel (Patrick Michael Valley) and Gabriella (Ximena Uribe) charge through the glass doors and demand the metal barricade be lowered to guard against an uncontrollable infestation. A customer named Henry (Douglas Stirling) also gets locked inside, adding friction among the group. As tensions boil over, gunshots and explosives can be heard outside – where the undead storm the city. There’s little the group can do other than wait it out and pray to be saved.

Jay does his best to lead the others – who constantly question his authority and play the blame game as events further spiral out of control. As Itch! reaches an epic climax in the finale, Bari Kang pulls on the heartstrings until the tear ducts burst, leaving a trail of tears down the audience’s face. In working with cinematographer Brendan McGowan, the creative team keeps the production largely crisp and clean, until blood splashes the screen and bodies begin to hit the floor.

Both the resilience of human nature and our fragility throb at the center of Itch!. Its focus is far less on the horror than it is on the emotional threads that keep the story linked together. In its third act devastation, Kang makes damn sure you’re left with nothing but mangled body parts and absolute ruin. The film doesn’t reinvent the zombie subgenre, but it does excel in making you care deeply about the characters (namely Jay and Olivia) and root for their survival. That’s what matters most.

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