Population 436 Review (Film, 2006)
content warning: gore, medical footage, hanging
Rockwell Falls has a secret. For over 100 years, the population of the small town has always been 436 residents. A census-taker is sent to investigate why.
Population 436 is a mystery in a small town horror film. Think Stephen King’s fiction or films like Two Thousand Maniacs! and The Wicker Man. An outsider finds themselves stranded in a remote town. The locals seem nice enough. Then they start to notice all the things that are just a little bit off about the town, its customs, and its citizens.
We get a taste of the chaos to come in the opening scene. A pregnant woman is being rushed to the hospital. The ride feels dangerous on the dirt roads as everyone onboard the ambulance gets bounced around. A truck is following close by. Suddenly, the truck rolls over and explodes at the same time the new baby is born. At the funeral, a young girl starts screaming that everything is fake and no one will believe her. She’s taken away to see the doctor who can fix everything.
The biggest mistake in Population 436 is that opening scene. It’s well made and has great tension, but it leads you to the concept too soon. There’s more mystery to solve here than the constant population. Too bad starting with the secretive town’s biggest rule makes it feel like there can’t be any other surprises. Mystery solved. One out, one in. Same as it’s always been.
The actual story being told is far more engaging. No one bothers the town for too long, so they can do what needs to be done to maintain their status quo. A government worker showing up throws a wrench in their plans. The usual procedures should be followed, but there is nothing usual about the government actually noticing the town of Rockwell Falls exists.
It’s all a matter of perspective. The scenes with the town are terrifying. It’s like a lost Shirley Jackson story, a slice of small town life with a dark secret lying underneath. Jeremy Sisto does fine as census worker, but his scenes just don’t fit into the tone set up by the opening sequence. He’s the main character in the film but the least interesting character in the story.
That’s not to say Population 436 is a bad film. It’s more of a missed opportunity. Director Michelle MacLaren does a great job pulling all the pieces together by the end and letting the danger slowly rebuild after the great cold open. The special effects makeup, set design, and stunt work look good and serve the story. It all comes down to the story being told is not the most interesting version of events we watch onscreen.
Population 436 is streaming on Netflix.