FANG is a great, compelling film that is both a body horror film and a psychological horror film. The main character, played by Dylan LaRay, has some autistic tendenceis and pretty miserable life. He has a terrible job with a horrible boss and he lives with his mother, who has serious physical and mental problems. She suffers from Parkinson's Disease and her condition is rapidly deteriorating. Lowry gives one of her greatest performances, able to change her mood and tone very quickly, as when she gets angry. She can be a monster at times, but at other times can be a good mother. After Dylan gets bitten by a rat, he starts growing fur on his arms, and this is where the film becomes a gross Cronenbergian body horror film.
The acting is first rate- in fact, I am still angry at Dylan's boss for being such a jerk. LaRay is incredible and gives a strong emotional performance. He evidences some traits of schizophrenia and through his art and comic book drawing, he has created a new universe for himself, as he does not seem to fit in this one. His acting is great but Lynn Lowry steals the film. I have been a fan of hers for my entire life and this is one of her most serious and intense roles. At times, she is truly evil and tyrannical, at other times she is weak and vulnerable. At all times her acting is superb and realistic.
There are several other things that elevate this film to a modern classic.
First is the beautiful cinematography, and second is the editing, which is innovative and realistic and propels the story forward. The chemistry between the two leads is great and when the kid and his mother are arguing things get really exciting.
According to IMDB, this is the first full length film from director Richard Burgin. This is hard to believe, because the film is so well made that I assumed while watching it that the director had more experience. He is definitely someone to watch and I look forward to his next film. With its harsh look at autism, schizophrenia and Parkinsons Disease, this film does a great job at capturing these illnesses in its characters, and fans of psychological suspense (and body horror) are sure to enjoy this great film with its realistic performances of degeneration, angst, frustration, anger, and jealousy.