Word About Biehn

Someone is brutally bumping off teenagers in the normally peaceful burg of Cherry Falls, and with murder number three, the critical link among the victims becomes apparent: They were all virgins. Naturally, the town's teens have no difficulty discerning the crystal-clear life-saving solution to the crisis: They must all lose their virginity--and fast! Just as naturally, their parents aren't quite so sure about that plan. It falls to Sheriff Brent Marken (Michael) to find the killer before someone else dies and in the process prevent a teenage sex orgy. However, the plot thickens after Jody, the sheriff's own daughter, is attacked. Her description of her assailant is disturbingly familiar to her father and sends him on a trip to a hidden past and to a secret that motivates murder.

It's too bad that Cherry Falls was not released theatrically in the US, because it's a nicely turned and entertaining little horror film that is every bit as good as some scary flicks that are given wide release. Its atmosphere is just fine, with the eerie elements one expects in fright films satisfyingly present: Headlights drawing up behind the parked car of an unsuspecting couple; a young woman hesitating to open the door to a stranger but opening it nevertheless; a potential victim tempting fate by searching through deserted and darkened corridors to find a lost friend.

The actors capably meet the demands of their roles, with Brittany Murphy's performance as the sheriff's daughter particularly well done. The story is compact, straightforward and nicely paced, but not without shortcomings. Perhaps most disappointing for me, Jody is given no opportunity to confront her father after she's discovered a long-ago truth about him and no scene to reveal her feelings at story's end. Still, the film is an entertaining one, having fun with its premise and providing an appropriate amount of melodrama. And it throws in an intriguing dilemma: Should one compromise morality on the off-chance that it will save one's life?

Michael delivers a strong performance and one well-tailored to his role. In the beginning, he is a concerned and competent lawman, who, with an air of objectivity, takes on the investigation of a horrific crime. Then, as the case progresses and grows more personal, his demeanor changes. He is touchingly awkward as the concerned parent of a virginal daughter, gently questioning her about her sexual experiences. And he is sympathetic as the anguished and guilt-ridden father of a threatened child, begging for her life as he confesses the truth about his past. Throughout, Michael etches the picture of a good man, deeply remorseful over a very bad act he'd committed many years before.

There are several nice Michael moments in Cherry Falls. One of them occurs when as a protective dad he teaches Jody self-defense. It is gratifyingly fitting that in the end what her father has taught her saves Jody's life.