Writer/director Peter Sullivan’s 2017 horror film The Sandman feels like an X-Men movie and old school creature feature hybrid. It even has comic book legend Stan Lee involved as an executive producer which matches well with The Sandman’s mutant superpower vibe.
Sullivan’s original horror tale focuses on a young girl with uncontrollable supernatural powers who’s able to call into existence the titular character. Madison (Shae Smolik), the girl with the untamed abilities, was born under a caul, a condition thought to portend psychic powers. After her father’s horrific death, Madison is taken in by her aunt, Claire (Haylie Duff), who quickly discovers Madison’s telling the truth when she claims she sees the Sandman.
It turns out Madison’s not being chased by this freaky-looking creature but is actually summoning and controlling it. Claire learns it’s best not to anger her niece who would fit in well studying with the mutants at the Xavier Institute for Higher Learning. However, when a shady government agency enters the picture and attempts to capture Madison for their own nefarious purposes, Claire turns momma bear to protect her brother’s child.
Working in The Sandman’s favor is its built in horror movie cred with the appearance of genre favorites Tobin Bell and Amanda Wyss. Bell has a supporting role as a government agent who wants to harness and weaponize Madison’s powers. Amanda Wyss plays a psychiatrist who’s one of the few people on Madison’s side and the only person with a solution that doesn’t involve locking the girl up and conducting experiments.
Strong performances, a creepy creature, and an interesting premise make The Sandman worth checking out when it premieres on Syfy on October 14, 2017 at 9pm ET/PT.
Running Time: 90 minutes
Cast: Haylie Duff, Shae Smolik, Tobin Bell, Amanda Wyss, Shaun Sipos, Ricco Ross, Jason-Shane Scott, and Mick Ignis as The Sandman
This post was last modified on October 15, 2017 11:42 am