Three out of Five stars
Running time: 82 mins

Watchable if derivative horror flick with strong performances, some inventive death scenes and a suitably creepy set-up.

What's it all about?
Set in New England (though filmed in Belfast), Red Mist (AKA Freakdog) stars Andrew Lee Potts as Kenneth, a mildly autistic, emotionally stunted janitor who winds up in a coma after a group of medical students force him to take part in a sleazy drinking session. When guilt-stricken trainee doctor Catherine (Arielle Kebbel) administers an experimental drug cocktail hoping to bring Kenneth out of his coma, she unwittingly triggers a bizarre out-of-body experience and soon Kenneth is possessing random strangers and using them to slaughter his tormentors in creative and increasingly gruesome ways.

The Good
Arielle Kebbel (recently seen in The Uninvited) makes an attractive and appealing lead and there's strong support from Martin Compston as the group's amoral ringleader, while Potts is cast effectively against type in a role that's the polar opposite of his small screen persona in Primeval. It's also worth pointing out that, whether intentional or not, the cast is made up of familiar genre movie faces such as Sarah Carter (Final Destination 2) and MyAnna Buring (The Descent, Lesbian Vampire Killers), which adds to the general atmosphere.

Director Paddy Breathnach seems to have learned a few things since his debut feature Shrooms and Red Mist moves along at a decent pace, with several creepy and inventively nasty death scenes.

The Bad
The main problem is that the film's so derivative that you may well feel you've seen it all before (and you'd be right). Similarly, the faux-American accents (from a largely British cast) smack of desperation to appeal to the US market and are vaguely off-putting throughout.

Worth seeing?
That said, this is still an above average Friday night horror flick, thanks to an entertaining (if derivative) premise, strong performances from Kebbel and Compston and some suitably gory death scenes. Worth seeing, on balance.