Sometimes called Symphony of Evil or Deadly Possession, Coda is an enjoyable Australian slasher film, one that was also made for television. As such, although there is not a lot of blood, it is used effectively, and to compensate for its absence, the filmmakers utilize solid casting and some good suspense to make it all worthwhile.

The plot involves a murder, or an almost-murder of a woman who ends up in the hospital. Her neighbour ends up investigating what happened with a friend of hers, while her ex-husband is on the run, having been in the wrong place at the wrong time. Meanwhile, the killer is on the loose and looking to tie up all the loose ends that began with that first attempt. Soon enough, blood is spilled, and it turns into a cat-and-mouse game. Factor in some classical music around which everything seems to be based, and it makes for some intriguing and captivating scenes. Eventually, the killer is struck down, but not before delivering a twist that makes this film even more fascinating than it was before.

There is a lot to like about this movie; however, there are a couple of things that do not necessarily hinder the production, but they could have been just a touch better. The first being the pacing. It started out fine with the attempted murder, but eventually slows down to a crawl after a bit and takes too long to pick back up. Once it does, though, things wrap up in no time at all; however, there are times when it seemed as if the film were just treading water. As for being a horror film, it would not end up being very scary, although the impression given, thanks to the visuals of the killer, would at least provide a somewhat creepy atmosphere. With shades of Michael Myers, the killer, all in black with a white mask, would strike an imposing figure at times and would be the best part of the whole movie. There is nothing quite like having a masked killer in a slasher film or any other horror genre. The mystery generated by it and the added fear it gives those who watch the film is far better than just having some random guy going about and killing all the girls. Here, the killer is a true unknown and even better, kills both men and women. Whyfor and whatfor are unknown until that final act, but director Craig Lahiff does a fair, if not good, job of guiding this effort to its conclusion.

With the lack of violence, Lahiff focuses more on character throughout the movie, and that is not a bad thing. It allows the audience to get a feel for the characters and creates a bit of an empathetic bond, so that when bad things happen to them, the viewers actually care. That being said, even with the masked killer, when all is said and done, most would not remember this movie an hour after finishing it. Despite being a solid overall effort, it is rather unremarkable. If this film had been released to theatres with a bigger budget, it might have been an entirely different beast, but as it is, it remains just another slasher amongst a sea of other slashers.

3 out of 5