Movie Review: Mind Leech – A new indie take on parasitic horror…. Does it work?

Set in rural Provinstate in the year 1998, Mind Leech is a horror film about an infectious parasite that causes friends to violently attack each other. On its heels is a pair of local police officers who have no idea what they are in for.

Right from the start ‘Mind Leech’ looks and feels like an independent film not far from the many of its kind we have seen. A typical ‘Zombie movie with mild gore and less chaos. The story is pretty much straightforward. There is a parasite that latches onto the brains of its human hosts and causes them to attack and kill whoever is around them.

Not much is shown or said about the source of origin of this parasite except the typical situation of being at the results of some lab experiment. Even the law enforcement trying to salvage the situation have no idea what they are up against and how to save the situation. 

There is not much told or given to make you particularly attached or emotionally invested in any of the characters in this film.

With the threat that this ‘parasite’ presents, the film doesn’t give you the end of the world, impending apocalypse feels that accompany most zombie films.

However, one great thing about ‘Mind Leech’ is that it wastes no time at all. The film is just 61mins in runtime and it makes every single minute count. No, the story doesn’t feel rushed or forced to a climax. It picks an even pace and rides that through to the end. The film also has a comedic feel to it that in a way saves you from taking it too seriously.

Mind Leech looks and feels like a classic horror film. If you are a fiend for special effects and make especially for the horror film genre, you might be disappointed by this film. Everything done in that department is simply basic and not overly impressive. You might even be upset by how cheesy some of these gory scenes turned out. But it works for the film regardless and, understandably, this isn’t a big film so you can’t expect much.

The effort is appreciable because it doesn’t promise much and proceeds to serve up just enough to make you feel like the time spent on it is not completely wasted. 

I would rate this film 5/10. ‘Mind Leech’ is just what it is meant to be, a B movie that shows the prospects and potential of its makers. Hopefully, this film provides Chris Cheeseman and Paul Krysinski with greater opportunities to explore the genre or any other genre of filmmaking.