Itch! is an effective and tense indie thriller

Bari Kang as Jay and Olivia Kang as Olivia in Itch! - Courtesy of Seven Tales Entertainment

From 28 Days Later to George A Romero's initial zombie trilogy (Night of the Living Dead, Dawn of the Dead, Day of the Dead), we've seen countless horror movies that deal with outbreaks and the way that people react to them. Thankfully, writer/director Bari Kang does something slightly different with the formula in Itch!, an indie horror movie that pushes beyond a typical zombie or infection narrative but uses some key techniques that the maestros like Romero pioneered decades ago. The result is a tense feature.

Not only did Kang write and direct the movie, but he also stars as Jay, who's left to care for his daughter, Olivia (Olivia Kang), as the outbreak ramps up. Reeling from the loss of her mother, Olivia is mute and struggles to process the profound trauma. Jay certainly grieves too, but because he has to protect his daughter, he has to find a way to keep going and keep surviving, bolstered by the role he has to fulfill for his daughter and the connection he has with his parents, who he mostly talks to via FaceTime throughout the movie.

The real tension begins when Jay is forced to lock down a department store that his family owns. Others, including Henry (Douglas Stirling), Miguel (Patrick Michael Valley), and Gabrielle (Ximena Urbie), take refuge in the store as the infection spreads. Unlike other outbreak or zombie movies, Itch! does something slightly different with the concept. Once infected, the patients scratch themselves to death, and yes, there's a few gnarly gore scenes, though nothing that feels over-the-top. This is a much more character-driven movie than it is a blood, guts, and gore feature, though it's certainly still a horror movie. The very idea of the "itch" is an effective tool to ratchet up the tension because any time one of the characters scratches themselves, you have to wonder if they're infected or simply, well, itchy.

Additionally, the mostly single-location film uses the department store setting to also crank up the suspense. Romero already proved with Night of the Living Dead and its farmhouse setting that if you put a group of people together from different paths in life, and they're all hunkered down under one roof, tensions will spike. That happens here. Jay, at least initially, is unsure who he can trust, and mind you, he has his daughter to protect. He needs to ensure he stays healthy and shelters her from the infected and violent outside forces. As the film draws on, more people pound on the locked doors. Video footage shows them at the gates of the store. These moments are like a dash of Night of the Living Dead mixed with The Mist because other than some radio reports and camera footage, it's unclear just how dangerous it is outside and how far the outbreak has spread.

Yet, there are also some very powerful human moments in the film too, especially a speech that Henry gives late in the movie about the idea of chosen family and acceptance. Further, there's plenty of moving sequences between Jay and Olivia. The movie clocks in at under 90 minutes, but it has plenty of strong character moments and scares as well. There's also the fear of the Other lurking in the background as Jay flips through radio channels and hears loudmouths that blame immigrants for the outbreak. In the context of ICE raids, some of the dialogue and even background noise certainly feels timely.

Itch! is a nail-biting indie horror movie that elevates character above all. For the gore hounds, however, there are a few impressive special effects sequences that show just how deadly and dangerous the outbreak is. Overall, Itch! is a gripping thrill ride with indie filmmaking spirit and heart.

Itch! is available on digital platforms in the U.S. starting April 21.

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