Welcome back to Movie Recap. Today I'm gonna show you a 2008 Canadian horror film called,
Pontypool. Spoiler’s ahead. Sit back, relax, and enjoy the video.
The movie begins with an announcement about a missing cat, Honey. The voice continues
to say that no one has seen Honey until Thursday morning when Miss Collette Piscine
swerves to avoid Honey. He carries on to explain the name of the small town,
Pontypool. We then see Grant in a car, driving through heavy snow. He's arguing with Rick,
his agent, on his phone about work. In his annoyance, he finally tells the other man that
he's fired before throwing his cellphone towards the passenger seat next to him.
His cellphone starts ringing again so he parks to the side to take the call. A woman hits her
palm on his passenger window and keeps muttering about blood before disappearing into the night.
He continues on, arriving at the radio station and parking at his reserved spot. Laurel-Ann
greets him. Grant asks her to look up all the information she can on 911 calls including how
many goes through in a 24-hour period and how many hang-ups do they go through before announcing,
that they'll make some radio. Grant goes on air. He then introduces his producer, Sydney,
and technical assistant which is Laurel-Ann. He also talks about Laurel-Ann being deployed in
Afghanistan not too long ago. Sydney teases him and calls him a new guy since this was
a known fact all-over town as Laurel-Ann was the homecoming hero of last year's fall fair. After a
playful banter between the three, they then switch to Ken, their on-the-field reporter. The radio
show continues with numerous comments from Sydney like asking him not to make global warming jokes
and to leave Ken alone. But Grant continues doing what he likes and spouting off what he wants.
He refuses to listen to Sydney's direction so she takes him off the air before he's finished.
They get into an argument with Sydney telling him that he should be sharing news,
questioning what he thinks should be disclosed to the public. She talks about the danger of
gossip while Grant defends what he's doing. He tells her that he's just trying to piss
people off because that's how it's done since a pissed-off listener is a wide-awake listener.
Sydney tells him that small towns are fiercely proud places with proud people who need to know
facts and not think that he's just a jerk with a radio show. She goes on to let him
know that he will embarrass and alienate his audience if he continues on this way. They
want what he brings but needs it in small doses since they wouldn't immediately get his style.
Grant eventually gets around to sharing his story about the strange woman on his way to work
earlier. He asks his listeners what should he have done. Should he have called 911 or done nothing?
Laurel-Ann informs Sydney of an ongoing hostage situation at the Fish Hut. But that there's
nothing on the wire about it yet so she'll get her information directly from police radio. Sydney
checks her own sources and asks Laurel-Ann not to do anything with the information specifically not
to let Grant know but she already does. Grant cuts off his call-in segment to report the situation.
Sydney wants him to let it go since the police officers are probably drunk as
it's end of ice fishing season. He zeroes in on this information and shares it over the air,
commenting that everyone being drunk is a very distinct reality. Apparently,
the situation has already resolved itself. The police have 2 suspects in custody. Both unarmed.
The 3 people they were supposedly holding up had fled the scene. Sydney storms in the
recording booth as Grant chuckles to himself. He tells her that they need to learn to laugh at
themselves sometimes and she tells him that the story's not funny. The policemen he was talking
about are alcoholics who are just trying to keep their jobs. She also explains that Ken isn't in
a helicopter as previously stated but rather a Dodge Dart that Ken drives. He plays sound
effects to keep the appearance going but is really just sitting up on a hill for his aerial view.
The next breaking news story is a protest outside the offices of Dr. John Mendez which was called in
by Ken. They move over to him and he reports that there are literally hundreds of people surrounding
the building. He continues that the people seem to be trying to cram themselves inside. He makes
a couple of surprising noises and follows up that the side of the building seems to have burst and
people are spilling out, getting trampled, and killed. Grant asks him if there's any police
around and Ken mentions that there's a convoy of trucks, military vehicles, and helicopters.
The line gets cut off as Ken states that the road's blocked and he can't leave. Laurel-Ann
is trying to reach the police department to confirm Ken's news but can’t reach anyone.
They're unable to contact Ken again and have no other news about the supposed riot.
Grant asks Sydney what he's going to do and she introduces a family who came in for an interview.
He's upset but she tells him that they can't do anything since they
have no other news regarding it as it's an ongoing story.
Rick calls Grant in the middle of the Arabian family's performance.
He makes him listen for a minute. Laurel-Ann and Sydney work in the background, trying to
find out more news about what Ken saw. They can't find any other news channel reporting
on it but Laurel-Ann has a hysterical caller on the line who seems to be near the situation.
Sydney tells her to try and calm the caller down and find out more.
After the performance of the Arabian family, Sydney tells Grant that there's still nothing
on the wire regarding the situation but they have a total of 10 eyewitnesses in town who
called and are willing to share what they know. They're going live with Steve first.
Grant opens up with the news again, reminding his listeners regarding the developing story.
They put their Steve on-air but could barely hear anything on his end aside from static and chaos.
The other 9 eyewitnesses waiting are no longer on the line and Sydney informs Grant that they're
still unable to reach Ken. Laurel-Ann and Sydney are overwhelmed with calls from more eyewitnesses.
No official report yet but what they have gathered is a total of 75 people
have died and at least twice that number is injured. They finally get word from someone
in the Ontario Provincial Police, Constable Roseland, who explains that they answered a
911 call at 7 in the morning at the Golden Dawn facility. A large number of people were
occupying the building and trying to enter an elderly woman's room. The elderly woman
has since died from injuries and the people were chanting something about Hitler and the hurricane.
But that's all they get from him before cutting him off for what they deem as crazy talk.
BBC World specifically Nigel contacts them for breaking the story as they're currently the only
station reporting on what's going in Pontypool. Grant is in shock for a moment before answering
Nigel and providing all the information they have. Nigel claims it's a terrorist
attack given Canada's history of separatists which Grant denies. He explains that they can
neither confirm nor deny this since there's not much report regarding what's going on.
Nigel insists its insurgency with the report of large groups of people involved. He makes Grant
sound crazy thinking he's refusing to divulge further rather than believing that he has no idea.
Ken calls back asking for them to send someone as he's not safe. He explains
that he's been in a grain silo near the train tracks since he was chased. He asks for them to
contact the police which Sydney tells him isn't possible since they can't contact the police.
Grant asks for more information and Ken tells them that some of the people are cannibals,
some naked, going as far as to compare them to dogs. Ken tries to look out through a cat door
and starts panicking when he sees the crazy people taking two more out of a van and biting them.
Sydney asks Grant to stop it as Ken reports that he's been found. A teenager is in the house with
him but can't attack him since he's missing hands and can't move. He mentions that the
teenager seems to be mouthing something and tells them that he'll take a closer look to find out.
Before they can find out more, the call is interrupted by a French audio transmission.
Laurel-Ann immediately translates the message typing that they're being asked to avoid family
members, restrain from using terms of endearment, rhetorical discourse, and the English language.
There is also a disclaimer not to translate the message. Sydney then relays that they got
a call from Constable Roseland and are asked to stay inside while Pontypool's under quarantine.
Ken's back on the line and asking them if they got his audio.
He repeats the recording again, reminding them that it's coming from a teenage boy.
Someone starts whispering 'help me, mommy' in a creepy, soft voice. Definitely not of
a teenage boy. Ken describes it as a child screaming inside the teenage boy's breath.
Grant had a hard time believing the reports that are coming in, asks for 1 minute outside.
But Sydney begs for him to sit back down on his chair since they can't take a break.
Sydney asks Laurel-Ann to go to a pre-tape as Grant leaves his recording booth. She tries
to convince Grant to go back to his chair but he insists on getting out to take a breather.
He thinks the two of them are messing with his head. He takes a step outside and says nothing
is out there except a cold day but Laurel-Ann notices something and tells him to go back in.
She closes the door and locks it as people try to force their way inside the building,
repeating the words they heard Sydney say to Grant.
While Grant is reading out the obituaries, Laurel-Ann is tending to Sydney's wound.
She mentions that she left her phone in the recording booth and needs to get it to talk to
her kids. As they're talking, Laurel-Ann begins to repeat the word 'missing' out of the blue.
She's not making any sense. After hearing the kettle whistle, she starts to imitate it as
well. Sydney stares at her for a minute before noticing a window's open and a body climbing in.
It's Dr. Mendez. He tries to explain himself to Sydney but finds Laurel-Ann standing motionless
and still making a noise like she's a kettle. They go for the recording booth as he tells
Sydney that they need to be ahead of her just in case. They lock themselves in the booth.
Laurel-Ann tells them that she's alright while trying to open the door.
Dr. Mendez tells them that she doesn't know it yet but she's hunting them.
He tells them to keep the sound inside the recording booth.
Hopefully, she'll lose track of where they are. As soon as he says that, Laurel-Ann stops trying to
open the door and goes for the window instead. Grant attempts to start an interview with Dr.
Mendez when Laurel-Ann starts throwing herself against the window of the recording booth.
The doctor comments that she's rooting for voices and things will grow vicious. He apologizes for
what he's talking about but points out that he has seen this happen all morning at his office.
Ken calls again and tells them that he thinks he's okay but the teenage boy that was with him
is dead. He repeats the chanting he heard earlier then they hear him turning over the phone. He
starts repeating the word simple. They accept his fate and Sydney suggests that they let him go now.
As they're talking about Ken, they notice that Laurel-Ann is back and eating her lower
lip. Dr. Mendez asks Grant if he's sure she can't hear them which he confirms.
Grant wonders if she can read lips which makes Dr. Mendez realize that it's viral but not of blood,
air, or in the body but rather in words specifically the English language. The bug
only enters its victim when the word is heard as well as understood. It then copies itself in
the person's understanding. They ask each other if they should continue the show and Dr. Mendez tells
Grant that it's up to him but that they should hope that continuing won't destroy the world.
Sydney gets a call from her kids and as she’s talking to them,
Laurel-Ann resumes trying to throw herself against the recording booth's window. Sydney sings to her
kid to comfort her but mutters that phone lines are dead not a minute after. Dr. Mendez comments
that something strange is happening to Laurel-Ann. Something he hasn't seen before. Laurel-Ann throws
up a lot of blood on the recording booth window probably including her organs then falls back.
Dr. Mendez thinks this is what happens to the bug when it can't find its next victim.
Other victims with the bug enter the building. Grant turns off the light
and they try to hide behind the booth. Writing notes, the three of them decide
that loudspeakers outside should be enough to throw off the bug. They decide to draw
the people out by playing a recording of Grant stating, 'Sydney Briar is alive'.
Dr. Mendez starts repeating the word, 'breathe'. Fearing that he's about to give in to the virus,
he starts speaking in Armenian, realizing that the virus is concentrated in the English language.
Sydney goes to talk to Grant in French which he understands a little.
They try to escape but run into one of the other victims who jump on Sydney.
They kill her. Sydney asks Grant if the doctor is potentially dangerous which he admits to
but he refuses to kill him as well. As they're talking about their next step,
the power shuts down and the Canadian anthem starts playing over the radio which would
bring the infected victims back inside. They head for the equipment room and Dr. Mendez
climbs through the window back outside, luring the infected victims away from the building.
Grant's trying to figure out how the virus works. Sydney begins to repeat the word,
'kill'. He finally realizes that Sydney's succumbing to the virus so he goes to confuse
her by connecting kill to kiss. They kiss. Grant realizes that this could be the cure and
convinces Sydney to air one last show. He states while on air that kill is definitely kiss as an
explosion goes off around them. Sample is staple. Everything means something completely different.
Opposite can't help since it's still connected to the word so it has to make no sense.
People need to stop understanding what they're saying and listen to him. He suggests that sample
is a color. The sky is a person. Laughter is walking. Grant tells those listening that
they're killing scared people which the military's known to do. He tells them they were never making
sense. It's not the end of the world but rather the end of the day. He signs off. A countdown in
French begins and the movie ends with Sydney and Grant kissing in the recording booth.