Between now and the closing film of the Toronto International Film Festival on September 16th, Killer Reviews will be highlighting some of the films that will have screenings at the prestigious event and giving you some insight into some of the more lesser known movies that being showcased in Canada.

Today, we take a look at Barry Levinson’s The Bay

Barry Levinson has brought some incredible films to mass audiences throughout his career.  His resume includes 36 films including Diner, Bugsy, Rain Man and Good Morning, Vietnam.  Levinson’s characters have routinely been given material that has garnished them Academy Award nominations (Robin Williams, Dustin Hoffman) and now he brings a horror film – a departure from his usual heavy dramas, to the Toronto International Film Festival with The Bay.

The Bay is a creature feature in the hands of a directorial master.  The ecological disaster film takes place in the small Maryland town of Claridge.  Claridge is your typical small U.S. community that is preparing for the 4th of July week-end celebrations.  But nothing can prepare them for what will unfold.  Two biological researchers discover a high level of toxicity in the bay and soon, a deadly plague is unleashed upon the unsuspecting townsfolk. 

From the TIFF Program Guide:

“A deadly plague is unleashed turning the people of Claridge into hosts for a mutant breed of parasite that eats its way into the boy of its host, where it then hatches into something even more horrific.  The local sheriff and his deputies try to content with the aggressive outbreak while an overwhelmed doctor attempts to coordinate with the Centre for Disease Control over Skype.  As friends and family afflicted by the outbreak try to share their panic with the outside world, a naïve student reporter working as an intern for a local TV station struggles to understand the mayhem around her.”

The Bay is brought to us by the makers of Paranormal Activity and Insidious and is the first time that director Barry Levison tries his hand at a found-footage horror film.  The Bay creatively uses multiple media sources including video diaries, home movies, webcams, closed-circuit cameras and Skype chats to relay the unfolding terror and uses more practical effects over a CGI laden feature.

Staring Kristen Connolly, Jane McNeill and Anthony Reynolds, The Bay opens in theatres in November, but it gets it’s World Premiere as part of the Toronto International Film Festival’s Midnight Madness program on September 12th and again on September 13th