Movie Review: ‘Itch!’ – Claustrophobia, Contagion, and the Cracks in Our Humanity

Zombie-styled horror films might seem like very low-hanging fruit for the genre. Considering that this is something that has been reanimated so many times, it looks like all of the material has been explored. But that makes it an even more challenging feat to attempt, especially for directors yet to make a big name for themselves.

But writer and director Bari Kang’s latest release, ‘Itch!‘ manages to sidestep the obvious pitfalls by telling a story that doesn’t try to reinvent the wheel but rather focuses on a narrative that is grounded in emotions.  

The film starts as a typical slow burner and details the story of Jay (played by Bari Kang), a grieving father barely holding it together after the death of his wife. In addition to being suddenly thrust into the role of a full-time parent, he is also forced to take over running the family’s convenience store when his father needs to stay home. This affects his young daughter, Olivia, who starts to get distant and withdrawn. Jay makes efforts to make things better for himself and his daughter we see hints of deeper scars that he might be dealing with for years.

As the narrative progresses, it starts to take shape into the horror flick that it is intended to be. Jay, his daughter and some staff get trapped inside the convenience store when there is an attempted robbery, just when an emergency lockdown has been forced. Together with a few customers and the would-be thieves, they start to learn more about the outbreak of a mysterious illness spreading. This contagious outbreak drives its victims into frenzied itching fits and violent attacks, just like bloodthirsty zombies.

Bari Kang doesn’t rush to make it loud or gory, he allows the narrative to simmer a bit before it boils. The tension between those trapped inside steadily grows, even before the chaos begins. And through this,s more of the film’s emotional tropes are revealed. The focus becomes those within the confines of the store and whatever they might be dealing with as they try to survive. He chooses not to make this just another apocalypse story right away. The store’s confined space beings the boiling pot for the character’s emotional struggles. As they work together to survive the plague, they must also survive each other. The stakes are heightened when paranoia and the lack of trust set in. All the while, the dreaded itch lingers both literally and metaphorically.

Not much can be said about the quality of acting in this film. Bari Kang, as the lead, delivers decently and anchors all the other performances in this film. The emotional nuances are felt just like the fright and the fight for survival. The commitment to the film’s characters is great and helps this film work. Jay’s grief isn’t just backstory,y but it shapes every decision he makes. Olivia isn’t just a cute child in danger, she’s a complex, emotionally bruised soul trying to reconnect with a father she barely recognises. Even the supporting characters are given just enough depth to feel like real people rather than cannon fodder. We see this, particularly with the characters of the robbers, who are an uncle and his niece.

The cinematography by Brendan McGowan doesn’t try to overcompensate either. It stays grounded, letting the space feel both real and suffocating. The practical effects are used sparingly but effectively, and when the blood does start to fly, it hits harder because of the restraint shown earlier on. Despite its limited budget, being an indie production, ‘Itch!’ Looks polished and intentional. Its 82-minute runtime also feels very adequate and wastes no time.

I will score this film 7.5/10. it isn’t just another film about a mysterious disease that turns people into zombies, it is a story about grief, isolation and the desperate ways we try to hold on to the people we love when everything else starts to unravel.

‘Itch!’ may not revolutionise horror, but it finds fresh ground in familiar territory by daring to care about its characters more than its chaos. If this is what Bari Kang can do with a modest toolkit, it’s exciting to think about what he’ll bring to the table next.