Storage 24

If you could search through a storage facility you’d find a ton of stuff that was boring and worthless but, sooner or later, in some mislabeled box, you’d probably find something you didn’t expect.  If you watch Storage 24, you will find much the same, except for the unexpected thing. 

I watched the film because the trailer at Apple was pretty good and it was free on Netflix Instant.  I will confess that I enjoyed it.  Boiled down a bit more, it would have made an excellent hour long episode of your favorite anthology show.  As it was it was tight enough to keep my interest. 

Synopsis

Charlie and his best friend Mark are on their way to a one of those large locker outfits so he can get this stuff out.  He has to do this because his girlfriend gave him his walking papers.  He is way short of being over it.  Meanwhile a plane crashes in central London, where said storage building is located.  If I am spoiling any surprises by telling you that something really nasty has survived the plane crash, then are easily surprised.  Inside the building he runs into his ex, a mousy faced blonde, accompanied by a rather more striking blonde and a guy that Charlie takes to be her new beau.  Guess what?  They get locked inside and soon they are running from their lives from something rather more militant than your average al Qaeda foot soldier. 

Confining the action to the inside of the Storage 24 building solves the original problem of almost any monster flick: how to bring the predator and the protagonists together and keep them together while allowing enough room for the action to play out.  The jilted lover backstory gives the characters a little depth.  All the writers and director have to after that is cobble together a monster.  This one stole his head from Predator, complete with the lobster claw face. 

I can’t think of much else to say except that I enjoyed seeing Noel Clarke as Charlie.  Clarke played Mickey Smith in the Doctor Who series.  He is a very competent actor and he lends this film all the dramatic value that it has.