Review: ‘Quadrant’ delves into the psychology of murderers

We are obsessed with murder. From true crime documentaries to dramatizations of real-life killers, our society loves the deranged and the macabre. That’s why there are so many Ted Bundy movies. The general public relishes in the visceral experience, our deep fascination feeding some hidden darkness. In Charles Band’s Quadrant, the first of many Pulp Noir titles under Full Moon Features, a young woman named Erin (Shannon Helene Barnes) consumes everything she can about Jack the Ripper. Research papers, historical fiction, and photographs pepper her apartment.

Her fixation reaches unhealthy levels when she signs up for an experimental augmented reality program that promises to alleviate her nightmares. Instead, the experience, which finds her wandering the streets of 1880s London, feeds her murderous impulses. Quadrant delves deep and unearths soured layers of Erin’s psyche, as she succumbs to her devilish fantasies and reenacts many of Jack the Ripper’s actual killings.

The two scientists, Meg (Emma Reinagel) and Harry (Rickard Claeson), behind the experimentation, observe that Erin finds great pleasure in wearing the Quadrant helmet, a device that hooks into the back of a person’s head and guides them into a nightmarish world of their own creation. The contraption siphons off one’s innermost thoughts to construct a hellish wasteland. Another participant, Robert (Christian Carrigan) attempts to confront ghastly creatures and fiery beasts that crawl out of his brain matter. After meeting Erin, the pair vow to help one another in their respective undertakings – but their pact proves to have even deadlier consequences.

While budgetary constraints condense the murder scenes to mere blood spurts, Quadrant excels in the performances. Barnes, who will appear in the next and final season of Netflix’s You, boasts an emotional and sometimes unhinged lead performance. She quivers her lips, and her eyes sparkle when discussing death and dying. The rush of murdering someone throbs in Erin’s veins – boosted by Barnes and her willingness to explore such deliciously dark territory.

With a script written by C. Courtney Joyner, genre veteran Band spins tight, instinctual direction, placed against a surprisingly crisp backdrop. Cinematographer Thomas L. Callaway works overtime to bring a sense of style, purpose, and color to the table. The elements might feel too confined and unengaged, but Callaway uses the meager budget to his advantage. Quadrant-based sequences seem ripped straight out of a video game, giving the film a surreal tone and detachment from reality. Ultra-indie by its very nature, Quadrant knows exactly what it is, and that’s why it (mostly) works.

In the independent arena, Quadrant joins films like Cold Blows the Wind that succeed despite little resources. If the stories are there and filmmakers have a vision, anything is possible. With an arsenal of remarkable works to his credit, Band makes do with what he has at his disposal – pushing the boundaries as best he can and offering up something worth the rental. For all its faults, and there are many, Quadrant still arrives as a fun Friday night treat.

Quadrant arrives on Prime and Tubi this Friday (August 23), as well as on physical media.

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