Sidescrolling Lovecraftian horror the Waves of Madness releases, on Digital and Blu-ray — a remarkable meld of practical and digital effects

A few years ago I called Jason Trost America's most underrated filmmaker, a statement I only reconsider when I remember he's lived in Australia for a while. Since then, his work has gotten more outlandish yet more refined, a contradiction exemplified in the Waves of Madness. Shot for $20,000 in an apartment and garage, the cosmic horror sees Jason's lone investigator making his way through a cruise ship being overtaken by...something. Through succeeding levels, he navigates the ship and tries to survive with scant ammo and fewer friends. Its influences are clear, calling to mind Resident Evil, Silent Hill, and Dead Space along with some Lovecraftian metaphors, both obvious and obscure. The result is familiar but inventive, as Trost's flair and skill with low budget effects are used to their fullest effect.

Between Hidden Frontier, Doctor Who Velocity, and Molli and Max, I've covered quite a few films that have been shot for cheap on small green-screen sets. None have approached the problem of limited space and camera distance like Waves of Madness. In emulating videogames, moving from side to side with the character in center frame, it solves the problem of limited space while adding to the sense of horror, not knowing what's just offscreen. The small crew did manage to give the cruise ship setting some grandeur, as shown in a large opening shot, in which a character takes a circle around the ship.

Added to that, the ethereal nature of the setting are built out with simple but impressive practical effects, giving the monstrosities within a truly alien atmosphere. The behind the scenes featurette adds a new layer of enjoyment as you see how little they were working with, but how far they stretched it. Cinematographer Markus Mentzer casts a spell with miniatures, green screen, and ingenuity. I wish everyone who participated gets the budgets to make all their dreams come true, but there's something special in the creativity and tenacity it takes to make a movie like this.

I can't say enough about how great Tallay Wickham is in this. She brings an energy and sincerity to things that perfectly counterbalances Jason's gruff, joyless exterior. The action and horror that ensues as they navigate the ship and find out how inhuman things have gotten is like nothing I've seen before, even with the different pieces of media that have been taken apart and fed to make this experiment what it is.

There is a small detail to the plot that I won't spoil that I question the wisdom of, and at an hour and a half including that behind the scenes segment, The Waves of Madness does leave me wishing its story were more developed. With the Castellum of Blood, an immediate sequel, shooting in July, I may be retracting both complaints before long.

If you're interested, the movie is available to stream now on Amazon Prime, Apple TV+, and Youtube. The physical edition releases June 5th.