As cheap as it feels and as derivative as it might seem, Population 436 isn’t horrible.
The population of Rockwell Falls has never wavered from 436 people for over 100 years. When the Census Bureau uncovers this anomaly, it sends Steve Kady (Jeremy Sisto) to investigate.
Upon arriving in town, Kady’s car suffers a tire blowout. Local deputy Bobby Caine (Fred Durst) gives him a lift into town and his car is towed to the local garage. The town’s mayor sets him up with a place to stay. The next day, Kady notices several oddities. The townsfolk all know his name and are strangely cordial. Everyone dresses like it’s the 1800s. The prevailing opinion in town is that everyone has everything they need and there’s no reason to leave for anything. When Kady looks into the town’s history, he finds there have been many strange disappearances and a deadly “fever” that keeps the population in check. Or, so it seems.
Population 436 is a direct-to-video thriller directed by Michelle McLaren, who’s best known for her work on TV series like Breaking Bad and Game of Thrones. I suppose that it’s not a coincidence that Population 436 feels like a made-for-TV movie. Thanks to the myopic cinematography and the camerawork, the entire production just feels cheap. Michael Kingston’s script borrows heavily from Shirley Jackson’s short story, “The Lottery.” Just enough has been changed to retain a viewer’s interest, but just barely. Suggestions of supernatural activity steer the story into the horror realm more than feels necessary.
The movie’s biggest surprise is Fred Durst, better known as the front-man for rap-rockers, Limp Bizkit. While not quite deserving of an Academy Award, Durst turns in a capable performance as the shy deputy Caine. Jeremy Sisto, who I know from HBO’s Six Feet Under, is equally serviceable as Steve Kady. The most awkward part of the movie, though, is a romantic tryst between his character and that of the beautiful Courtney (Charlotte Sullivan.)
As cheap as it feels and as derivative as it might seem, Population 436 isn’t horrible. I was invested enough to see how it would wrap up. It could best be described as an overlong Twilight Zone episode. It’s not something I’d go out of my way to recommend but it’s innocuous enough to waste 90 minutes watching.
2.5 out of 5.0 stars
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