Fun
Frisky
Nostalgic
Intense
Adventurous
Choked Up
Curious
Romantic
Weird
Have you ever imagined what all the thrills of a heist movie would be like if you threw in the chills of a horror flick? Well, ponder no longer, because The Vault has done it. Directed by Dan Bush, this thriller stars James Franco, Taryn Manning (Orange is the New Black), and Francesca Eastwood, and it is probably unlike anything else you’ve ever seen. Lucky for you, it’s now streaming on Netflix. We aren’t claiming it’s a cinematic masterpiece, but it sure is a lot of fun.
The premise sounds fairly simple on the surface; two estranged sisters (Manning and Eastwood) come together to rob a bank to save their brother. When they get to the bank and discover there is only $70,000 in the vault, they demand more money and are led to the basement vault – part of the old bank the building once housed – where the assistant manager (Franco) claims there is $6 million. Once the vault is cracked open, however, it becomes clear that this is no ordinary bank – it’s haunted. A man in a white mask and what appears to be a group of hostages terrorize the robbers and bank staff, and as you can imagine, bloody chaos ensues.
Things kick off in a pretty suspenseful manner, but by the time the horror kicks in and the story behind the bank’s haunting is revealed, The Vault begins to lose steam. Perhaps there is something to be said for keeping genres separate, but the film comes so frustratingly close to nailing it, you have to wonder a little just where it went wrong. What was done with a small budget and largely one setting, however, is totally commendable – and makes the film seem like an even bigger feat.
Released in 2017, The Vault made almost no money (a little under $6,000), so perhaps it will find its audience on streaming. There may be issues with the film, but its efforts are certainly laudable – and a breath of fresh air when compared with most of the stuff coming out these days. Come for the premise, stay for the B-movie result. Just don’t get stuck in the vault for too long.
