Brief review: After five shorts, UK director Ciaran Foy finally brings us his first feature film, about a recently widowed agoraphobic young father, who tries to protect his baby daughter from a gang of cranky, evil kids. "Citadel" is hardly a crowd-pleaser, lacks cohesion, and has more than a few pacing issues, but these weaknesses are nothing, compared to the strengths it possesses. Being suffering from agoraphobia himself, the director puts a personal touch here, making both the bizarrely engaging story and characters easier to relate to. There's something inexplicably frightening about "Citadel", as it has that nagging sense of dread and unease, that makes you uncomfortable, but in a good way. The scares ain't cheap or in-your-face, and there's plenty of nail-biting suspense and sinister imagery. In typical British fashion, "Citadel" is quite bleak in feel and look, even depressingly moody at times, but that only adds to the grim nature of the story. Foy easily maintains the eerie atmosphere throughout, with the final act being the absolute highlight of the movie, not only because it takes place in one of the creepiest settings ever put on film, namely a dark and grim tower block, that will surely give you the chills, but also because the level of intensity is sky high. Aneurin Barnard does an amazing job with a difficult role, carrying the entire movie on his shoulders, and the supporting cast complements him perfectly.
Overall summary: It's slightly muddled, and its inconsistent pacing may put some viewers off, but Foy's unique and very personal little chiller, "Citadel", more than makes up for these faults with originality, spot-on performances, plenty of effective scares, and spooky visuals.
