“Vile” was written by Eric Beck and Rob Kowsaluk. The film centers on a group of strangers who find themselves imprisoned in a house. Unsure of why they are there or who is behind it, they’re soon enlightened by a video advising them there is a way out. Ultimately, they must endure excruciating pain and torture to win their freedom. Though not a carbon copy, that should sound familiar to anyone who has seen even a single “Saw” film. It’s also a cousin to other contemporaneous films like “Hostel” and “The Collector.”
For all of the success Sheridan has enjoyed, “Vile” is considered to be his worst movie by far, yet it’s also clearly not representative of what he was capable of as a filmmaker. Speaking further in that same interview, he explained that he saw his role on the film as more helping out than actually being the director. Whatever the case, what he learned on that set helped him later on down the road:
“I kind of kept the ship pointed straight, and they went off and edited, and did what they did. I think it’s generous to call me the director. I think he was trying to say thank you, in some way. It was an excellent opportunity to point a camera and learn some lessons that actually benefited me on ‘Wind River.'”
What’s interesting is that, in the realm of horror, it feels like no movie ever truly dies. To that end, this movie has found some semblance of an audience over the years. “Vile” even got a Blu-ray release, which you can pick up on Amazon. Not that getting a Blu-ray release is a prize these days, but it’s more than many other low-budget, direct-to-video horror movies are afforded. Having Sheridan’s name attached certainly doesn’t hurt, but that’s also why we remember movies like “Duel,” which served as Steven Spielberg’s feature directorial debut. Without his name attached, would we still talk about it?
I’m certainly not suggesting these movies are in the same ballpark, more just pointing out that a big filmmaker’s name can help certain movies live on in the public consciousness instead of disappear completely as they might have without said filmmaker attached. Either way, it’s fascinating to look at this as the start of Sheridan’s directing career with the benefit of hindsight.
“Vile” is streaming now on Tubi.