It’s ironic how earlier today we talked about how Universal scrubbed out all of the practical effects in their remake of The Thing and covered it with crappy CGI. That’s a huge Hollywood blockbuster that for some reason couldn’t pull off the effects they wanted. Yet, those in the UK can now see proof of the possibilities with The Void in theaters today, ahead of the April 24 VOD date. Those in the U.S. can rent it on VOD next weekend through Screen Media Films.

The film is an homage to classic John Carpenter films, which is blissfully teased in this clip that shows someone has transformed into something. There’s a mess of practical effects work in The Void that I liken to The Thing, while also giving off an Assault on Precinct 13 vibe.

The Void, which I called “a dark, demented, and disgusting horror film that’s going to live among the greatest body horror films of all time,” made its world premiere at Fantastic Fest earlier last year, followed by additional festival screenings at the London Film Festival, Toronto After Dark Film Festival, Stockholm International Film Festival, and Abertoir Horror Festival. Here’s my review.

In ‘The Void’, officer Daniel Carter (Aaron Poole) happens upon a blood-soaked figure limping down a deserted stretch of road while he’s in the middle of a routine patrol. He rushes the young man to a nearby rural hospital staffed by a skeleton crew, only to discover that patients and personnel are transforming into something inhuman. As the horror intensifies, Carter leads the other survivors on a hellish voyage into the subterranean depths of the hospital in a desperate bid to end the nightmare before it’s too late.

Written and directed by Jeremy Gillespie and Steven Kostanski of Astron-6, and starring Aaron Poole, Ellen Wong, Kathleen Munroe, Stephanie Belding, and Kenneth Welsh, The Void is a must see for hardcore horror fans that we’re going to talk a lot about later this year.