SickNurses

Sick Nurses (2007)

This movie is about a group of nurses and a young doctor that work in what seems to be less then a top-notch hospital. I only say this because the doctor and the nurses are making some extra cash on the side by selling off body parts for spending money. Everything seems to be going pretty well until one of the nurses threatens to expose them, for reasons we find out later in a series of flashbacks. The only way to protect themselves is for them to do away with her and dispose of the body the only way they know how, which also picks them up some extra cash. But when the buyer can’t pick up his goods right away and a week goes by the ghost of the wronged nurse reappears to get some revenge!

This is an average movie that has some creepy moments but in the end is doomed by it’s been there done that vibe. The story starts off nicely with them doing away with the nurse that threatens them all with exposure. Though at the time we really don’t know what is going on the scene is so nasty and brutal that the movie grabs you right there. Then unfortunately the movie slows way down and we are treated to 40 or so minutes of what appear to be random scenes that just don’t fit together. This makes the movie really hard to follow and had me watching the clock. But I will give it credit that in by the time the credits roll the story does make sense. I guess my biggest complaint is what I’ve already mentioned about the repetitive nature of the story. I’ve seen a ton of these ghost movies so the sight of yet another pasty Asian ghost with long black hair just didn’t scare me. It also doesn’t help that the movie just doesn’t deliver any jarring scares that would have gone a long way to keep my attention.

When you are trying to make a movie about a ghost and the plot is so poorly paced without any scares you are doomed to failure. That said I have to admit that there are a couple of things that Sick Nurses does very well and in the end made what was shaping up to be an utterly forgettable flick one that I’ll remember for a while. The first is a crazy out of left field plot twist that I never saw coming. Now this isn’t one of those impossible twists that exist solely to get your attention. This is one that explains the motivations and actions of the characters, as well as being totally plausible. The other thing that kind of blew me away were the kills that happen towards the end of the movie. I wasn’t expecting the creativy and blood behind them. You have a neat bit with a handbag, a cell phone, and my personal favorite a razor blade/fetus to the face that had my jaw hitting the floor (trust me this is a really funny joke I just made…). I’ve not seen this kind of gore in a ghost movie before and I have to say I liked it!

So now we are to the question of whether I recommend Sick Nurses or not. In spite of some pacing issues that aren’t helped by a narrative that can be confusing at times I do like the gore and the twist ending. I also think that the end of the movie ties up things nicely and in a satisfying way. I think that it is worth checking out once (I don’t foresee myself popping my DVD back in the player anytime soon). If you are interested in checking this one out I recommend the double feature DVD that was recently released by Magnolia Home Entertainment. It also includes the movie Pulse.

2 ½ out of 4

reviewed by John Shatzer