Kicking off with what appears to be the standard gangsta nonsense that defines so many 'hood films, Nailed introduces the audience to Keller (Charles Porter) and Scott (Sam Saprong), a pair of small-time thugs on their way to make a drug run for their boss, Rafael (Ray Stoney). But what is quickly evident from the opening scenes is that the actors are all a cut above those you usually find in films of this nature, offering a glimmer of hope that Nailed won't completely suck. Keller and Scott make their way across town with a bag full of dope, unaware that they're being tailed by the cops. When the undercover bust goes bad, the hot lead flies, and Scott takes a round in the shoulder. Running for their lives, Keller and Scott break into a boarded-up house that appears to be abandoned. With Scott bleeding badly from his bullet wound, the criminals try to formulate a plan, but things take an unexpected turn when they hear a mournful groan coming from upstairs. Keller goes to investigate, only to discover a man with his faced wrapped in blood-soaked dirty bandages, moaning in pain, and tied to a bed. "Caring" for the man is Adam (Wilson Jermaine Heredia), an enigmatic man dressed in white whose friendly demeanor seems to hide a sinister intent. Keller forces Adam to help tend Scott's wounds, as the two criminals wait for the cover of darkness to arrive so they sneak out of the house. But the more time they spend in the house, the stranger things become. First, Keller begins to have hallucinations, and it isn't long before Scott starts seeing things that aren't there as well. Meanwhile, Adam is manipulating the increasingly paranoid criminals, slowing turning them against each other. It isn't long before both Keller and Scott are fighting to hold on to their sanity.

Moving at a quick pace, and relying on a genuinely creepy atmosphere and strong visual style, Nailed draws from a variety of influences, especially the new wave of disturbing Asian horror films. It wouldn't be surprising to find out that everyone involved in Nailed had sat through multiple screenings of Japanese creepers like Ringu and Ju-on, as the film clearly has an aesthetic more influenced by what is going on in contemporary Asian horror, than most of the sorry crap here in the States. Starting out as a better-than-most urban drama, Nailed makes a seamless transition into a supernatural thriller. Die-hard horror fans most likely will figure out what is going on early into the second act, but that doesn't diminish the film's effectiveness. On the other hand, novice horror fans are likely to be left squirming, as well as shocked by the horrific turn of events that unfolds.

Having watched more than my fair share of "urban" films and low budget horror flicks, I can't tell you how surprised I was by Nailed. Both the urban 'hood film and the horror movie are heavily exploited genres, often delved into by novice filmmakers with surprisingly little talent, and no business making movies. Anyone who has seen crap like Zombiez knows what I'm talking about. But Nailed actually gets more things right than it does wrong.

What is surprising about the film is not that it was shot in twelve days, and that it cost very little money to make. No, the big surprise is that the film was written and directed by a pair of Irish filmmakers, and the movie itself was shot primarily in Belfast. A horror flick in da 'hood, made by some Irish cats in Belfast? Who would've ever thought?

Looking at the box art, it would be easy to mistake Nailed for some sort of Saw rip-off. But the reality is that Stephen McAnena and director Adrian O'Connell have crafted a film that is more consistently entertaining than Saw, and that never degenerates into an unintentional laugh riot of ham-acting and ridiculous camera tricks. There is actual intelligence and thought involved in the construction of the story and the development of the characters, and if you don't pay attention--even to the opening title sequence--you will miss crucial story elements. Credit for the success of the film must also go to actors Porter, Saprong and Heredia (all of whom also co-produced the film), for what pretty much amounts to a three-man show. Seldom do low budget films have performances as solid as those delivered by this trio of actors that are not that well-known.

Nailed is clearly not for everyone, but fans of creepy, disturbing horror films should be thoroughly entertained. Being one of those fans of horror, I know what it is like to take a chance on a film, and even with low expectation still be monumentally disappointed. Which is what makes Nailed such a treat. Not only is better than what you would expect it to be, it's actually a solid film on top of that. You can't ask for much more than that.

Video:
Nailed is presented in 1.78:1 widescreen, enhanced for 16:9 televisions. Generally speaking the film has a dark lighting scheme, but some scenes seemed a little too dark, and it was difficult to tell if it was intentional, or a technical problem. There was also a brief moment where the picture had some sort of pixilation problem, but it only lasted for a second, and only happened on one of my players. Not really sure what that was about.

Audio:
Nailed is presented in in Dolby Digital 5.1 surround and 2.0 stereo.

Extras:
A behind-the-scenes featurette (20 min.) gives a fair amount of background on how Nailed came to exist. There is also an audio commentary with the three lead actors, producer Ben Katz and composer Assaf Rinde. At times the commentary is a bit awkward, with problems that include lulls in the conversation, a bit too much of explaining the obvious, and Charles Porter participating over a phone line. But overall it is an interesting commentary that details how the film came to be. (It turns out that the actors were all in Ireland making the film Johnny Was, when producer Ben Katz met Nailed writer McAnena and director O'Connell in a bar.) By comparison to so many other commentaries that are just plain boring, and never really provide any substantial background, the commentary on Nailed, despite some problem moments, is well-worth checking out.

Final Thoughts:
Entertaining and effectively creepy, Nailed is worth watching, and definitely worth the price of rental. Hardcore horror fans may want to consider buying it, but at the very least should make sure they watch it.