The Void (2016 film)
A Lovecraftian horror film with practical effects and 1980s influences.
The Void is a 2016 Canadian horror film with Lovecraftian themes, directed and written by Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie, with production handled by Jonathan Bronfman and Casey Walker. The cast includes Aaron Poole, Kenneth Welsh, Daniel Fathers, Kathleen Munroe, and Ellen Wong. Its story centers on a handful of people who get stuck inside a hospital, surrounded by hooded cultists and monstrous beings. The movie’s creature effects were paid for through an Indiegogo crowdfunding campaign that brought in $82,510, while the rest of the budget came from traditional funding sources via the production company. It first screened at Fantastic Fest in 2016, followed by the Toronto After Dark Film Festival. The film had a limited theatrical release starting on April 7, 2017, in the United States, and on April 17, 2017, in Canada, opening in 31 theaters and later expanding to 50. Its opening weekend earnings were about $55,000, and it made a total of $149,365 during its run. Critics gave The Void positive reviews, often comparing it to horror movies from the 1980s.
The plot begins with James fleeing a farmhouse into the woods. A screaming woman tries to follow but gets shot. Vincent and Simon pour gasoline on her and set her on fire. Deputy Sheriff Daniel Carter, on duty in his patrol car, finds James crawling along the road and rushes him to a local hospital that is mostly empty after a fire. There, Daniel’s estranged wife Allison Fraser works as a nurse. Also at the hospital are Dr. Richard Powell, nurse Beverly, intern Kim, pregnant patient Maggie, her grandfather Ben, and patient Cliff—only a skeleton crew remains. Daniel discovers Beverly, her face skinless, murdering Cliff. She moves toward Daniel, who shoots her dead. He then has a seizure and experiences a strange vision.
State trooper Mitchell arrives to pick up James after finding the bloody farmhouse. Daniel goes outside to call in Beverly’s death but is tackled and stabbed by a robed cultist. He makes it back inside as cultists surround the building. James, Daniel, and Mitchell find that Beverly’s corpse has turned into a tentacled creature. Vincent and Simon enter the lobby, holding the group at gunpoint and demanding James. James takes Maggie hostage and stabs Powell, who falls and appears dead. The Beverly-Creature appears and grabs Mitchell, its tentacles piercing him. Vi
- directors
- Steven Kostanski and Jeremy Gillespie
- producers
- Jonathan Bronfman and Casey Walker
- release_year
- 2016
- country
- Canada
- genre
- Lovecraftian horror
- budget_source
- Crowdfunded creature effects ($82,510 raised on Indiegogo); traditional funding for production
- box_office
- $149,365
Lore & Background
The Void was created by members of the Canadian film group Astron-6, known for comedic horror films such as Manborg, Father's Day, and The Editor. For this project, the directors chose a serious tone and did not present it under the Astron-6 name. The film's imagery, including pyramids and triangles, was inspired by Jeremy Gillespie's time working near Guillermo del Toro's unfinished film At the Mountains of Madness, which sparked ideas for a Lovecraftian approach. The creature effects were crowdfunded on Indiegogo, raising $82,510, while the production company handled traditional funding. Additional assistance came from the special effects team of David Ayer's Suicide Squad, as Gillespie and Kostanski worked on that film in Toronto.
Reader's Guide
The Void is significant as a modern Lovecraftian horror film that deliberately eschews CGI in favor of practical creature effects, a choice praised by critics for its visceral impact. The film's reception on Rotten Tomatoes is 77% approval based on 75 reviews, with a consensus that it offers nostalgic thrills for fans of 1980s horror. On Metacritic, it scored 62 out of 100, indicating generally favorable reviews. Critics like Elijah Taylor of Fangoria highlighted that the practical effects are showcased clearly, not obscured by lighting or shaky camera work, and that the film demands multiple viewings. Kim Newman of Screen Daily noted the directors' pastiche mode but with reduced humor compared to their earlier works. The Void's legacy lies in its successful crowdfunding for effects, its homage to 1980s horror aesthetics, and its contribution to the Canadian horror genre, though its box office performance was modest.
Did You Know?
- The creature effects were crowdfunded on Indiegogo, raising $82,510.
- The film was shot at the former location of Sir James Dunn Collegiate and Vocational School in Sault Ste. Marie, which was demolished in 2016.
- The directors worked on David Ayer's Suicide Squad, which led to members of that film's special effects team assisting on The Void.
- The film's soundtrack was released by Death Waltz Recordings on October 4, 2017.
More in Cosmic horror films 1-24
Spotted an error? Know more?
This is a living reference — every entry is fact-audited, and reader corrections feed straight into our audit queue. Suggest an edit · See this site's audit record