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Hollywood's confidence in D-Tox (also known as Detox and Eye See You) was clearly lower than Ed Wood's Oscar possibilities. Filmed and completed in 1999, Universal abruptly decided to cancel the distribution a few months before the intended release and shelve the project. Three years passed, and Universal began to tire of the film - ultimately choosing to sell it and disown it (Oscar-winning producer Brian Grazer even removed his name from the credits, and Universal removed their logo from the finished product as well). The 2002 international theatrical run for D-Tox was shorter than the average life-span of a housefly. In the US it bypassed theatres and instead debuted on DVD. Typically, endless delays are an indication of an extremely poor movie. But thankfully, this isn't the case...as a matter of fact, D-Tox is a surprisingly watchable and serviceable Sylvester Stallone vehicle. Directed by Jim Gillespie, this hybrid of Se7en, The Thing and (Gillespie's own) I Know What You Did Last Summer rises above the usual standard for fluffy slasher flicks, and features Stallone in an astonishingly decent performance. It's frankly bewildering that this decent slasher affair struggled for a release while other dirge is constantly rushed into cinemas.
The story tracks FBI agent Jake Malloy (Stallone), who - upon the film's commencement - is on the trail of a sadistic serial killer exclusively targeting police officers. This murderer instigates an intense cat-and-mouse game with Malloy, eventually upping the stakes by making things personal. Grief sends Malloy off the deep end when he witnesses a personally-affecting crime scene, and his life spirals downwards into a profound depression where solace can only be found in the bottom of a bottle. To recover from these intense psychological effects, one of Malloy's colleagues (Dutton) sends Malloy to a remote detox clinic (hence the title) located in snow-covered Wyoming that specialises in rehabilitating cops. Unfortunately for the group of patients (and the crew of the facility, for that matter), Malloy barely has time to unpack his bags before the patients begin dying under suspicious circumstances. Things soon become perfectly clear to Malloy: the murderer whose actions have haunted him for months has somehow found his way into the facility, and one of the patients may not be who they claim to be. Completely isolated by an extreme blizzard, the group have no-where to run. As their numbers begin to dwindle even further, it becomes clear that in order to survive they must go on the offensive and flush out the traitor lurking amongst them...
As with any slasher flick, the plot is quite superfluous. As opposed to an actual plot, slasher flicks are generally infused with a simple set-up. Once this set-up is established, characters are slaughtered and the body count gradually continues to escalate. D-Tox is no different. As soon as the knife-bait is assembled in the isolated setting, murders begin. The real fun is then figuring out who'll be bumped off next and who is responsible for the murders. To the credit of those behind the camera, the identity of the killer is concealed quite effectively. The reveal of the killer is perhaps a bit too early, however, as it slightly lessens the tension towards the climax.
D-Tox initially appears to be another Silence of the Lambs inspired serial killer thriller (complete with an opening title sequence reminiscent of David Fincher's Se7en), but once the action shifts to the isolated rehab clinic it transforms into a straightforward slasher affair (albeit with a few twists on the standard formula). In the long run, D-Tox can probably best be described as Ten Little Indians meets Friday the 13th. Director Jim Gillespie (no stranger to the genre, having previously helmed I Know What You Did Last Summer) is a competent craftsman who builds a chilling, claustrophobic atmosphere. For generating tension, Gillespie relies on the remoteness of the film's primary location (making a good correlation with the isolation that Malloy feels) and the snowy, brutal conditions as opposed to the typical "jump" moments contemporary slashers usually employ. The solid cinematography of Australian Academy Award winner Dean Semler (who also worked on Dances with Wolves) is one of the film's highest points, and John Powell's musical score is chillingly effective without being truly outstanding. Ron L. Brinkerhoff's inane screenplay (loosely based on Howard Swindle's novel Jitter Joint), however, is a sub-par effort plagued with cookie-cutter characters and a killer sporting a deliriously shallow motivation. On a more positive note, the dialogue is restrained and believable, providing an added class which slasher films usually lack.
Interestingly, D-Tox exhibits all the hallmarks of a movie which has been severely cut in order to reduce the runtime. Occasionally it's quite obvious that small fragments have been omitted (editing is also somewhat choppy at times). Unfortunately, character development is purely non-existent (whether this can be attributed to the script or the cutting room remains a mystery). Few of the characters are even introduced properly (names certainly don't stick). When Stallone's Malloy arrives at the detox clinic, the film surrenders to clichés, and a pantheon of quality actors are literally wasted in a conventional fashion, becoming victims of the surrounding histrionics. It's truly difficult to categorise Gillespie's D-Tox. It's part horror movie, although it isn't very scary. It's part murder mystery, but it lacks the fun of a usual whodunit slasher. The flick also attempts to be a thriller. Fortunately it does a pretty good job of thrilling, especially during the sporadic action sequences (the climax is particularly nail-biting).
A cast of helpless teenagers (usually present in brainless slashers) has been replaced with a group of adult characters. Astonishingly, Sly is on impressive, if not career-resuscitating form. To Stallone's credit, he offers a better-than-average performance as the tortured Malloy. At one stage Malloy is faced with guilt and remorse before sinking to rock bottom, and Stallone conveys this with amazing honesty. Incredibly, the star also manages to disperse lines while actually acting. He proves that - despite all the Razzies he endured and turkeys he has previously appeared in - he can act. Sly's emotionally-shattered protagonist is an interesting alternative to the usual "female virgin in distress" that we've become accustomed to seeing in a slasher.
Alongside Stallone is an extremely able-bodied cast. Charles S. Dutton (who was also in Se7en) delivers a decent performance as Hendricks; a colleague of Malloy who sends him to the remote detoxification clinic. Inside this remote facility is a cavalcade of great actors, most of which aren't put to good use at all. Kris Kristofferson (from Blade) is quite good as the no-nonsense detox doctor, with Tom Berenger (remember him from Platoon?) appearing as the centre's handyman, and Polly Walker (whose résumé also includes such titles as 8 ½ Women and Patriot Games) playing the resident psych.
Robert Patrick (best known for Terminator 2) is a particular stand-out as a gung-ho SWAT guy, although his character's final moments are pitiful (and that's putting it mildly). Also look out for Jeffrey Wright who's convincing as a patient at the clinic who tried to shoot himself. Additional members of the cast include Dina Meyer, Robert Prosky, Courtney B. Vance and Sean Patrick Flanery - all of which are given criminally small and undeveloped roles to work with.
Despite its routine nature and lack of true cohesion, D-Tox is a surprisingly serviceable movie of the slasher/thriller variety. Gillespie's directorial style is gritty, tension is present, and Sylvester Stallone places forth a fantastic performance. The ludicrous screenplay is perhaps of the low direct-to-DVD standard, but from a technical viewpoint the film is well-handled and the acting is fairly good. And really, that's more than what can be said for stacks of unforgivable dreck that's able to warrant a theatrical release. D-Tox is straightforward, taut slasher entertainment. If you lower your expectations enough, there's a plethora of fun to indulge in. It's particularly good viewing for a rainy evening.
It'd be very interesting to see an extended cut that may perhaps restore the absent character development...
5.8/10
