Isolation (2005)

67% of critics liked it
(9 reviews)
36% of users liked it
(2,507 ratings)

An experiment in bovine genetic modification goes horrifically wrong in writer/director Billy O'Brien's debut feature, Isolation. John Lynch stars as Dan a cattle farmer on the remote Irish countryside, whose ex, Orla (Essie Davis of the Matrix films), a veterinarian, has convinced him to take part… More An experiment in bovine genetic modification goes horrifically wrong in writer/director Billy O'Brien's debut feature, Isolation. John Lynch stars as Dan a cattle farmer on the remote Irish countryside, whose ex, Orla (Essie Davis of the Matrix films), a veterinarian, has convinced him to take part in a profit-driven experiment on his cows, run by John (Marcel Iures), an officious scientist who seems very concerned with maintaining secrecy. Orla is conducting a routine check on a pregnant cow, and her hand is inside the animal, checking the unborn calf, when something bites at her. John is called to the farm, and reassures them that the safety checks were all okay. He's more concerned with the presence of a caravan just outside the farm. The caravan is occupied by Jamie (Sean Harris of 24 Hour Party People) and Mary (Ruth Negga of Breakfast on Pluto), a desperate young couple who are apparently hiding out from something. That night, after Orla and John have left, Dan hears his cow wailing. Dan's phone is out, so he reluctantly turns to Jamie for help. After a protracted and painful delivery, Orla turns up, and decides to "shut it all down." She kills the mother and the calf. Examining the calf, she realizes that it was born pregnant, and the "severely malformed" fetuses have distinctly un-cowlike exoskeletons. Unfortunately for all involved, one of the offspring survives, and when John finally shows up, he suggests that the farm be quarantined, as there may be a danger of "infection." Isolation was shown by the Film Society of Lincoln Center as part of the 2006 Film Comment Selects series. ~ Josh Ralske, Rovi

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Rating, Runtime: R, 1 hr. 35 min.
Directed By: Billy O'Brien
Written By: Billy O'Brien
Genres: Horror

In Theaters: Mar 17, 2006 Wide
On DVD: Jun 26, 2007
Studio: First Look Home Entertainment

Critic Reviews

Joe Leydon, Variety
Novice writer-director Billy O'Brien brings a seriousness of purpose and a modicum of showmanship to the task of serving generic B-movie cheese in Isolation
Steve Biodrowski, ESplatter
Working from a rather inauspicious premise ... writer-director Billy O'Brien conjures a remarkable genre achievement: a somber, sad, and absolutely convincing film that is also genuinely terrifying.
Anton Bitel, Film4
even the disc's menus are creepy.
Anton Bitel, Film4
Isolation is a claustrophobic, increasingly icky chiller that is just as horrifying for its underlying ideas as for the more visceral shocks that it presents on screen.
Staci Layne Wilson, About.com
Taking itself far too seriously and nearly devoid of suspense, Isolation gets kudos for a nice try... but I can't recommend it.
Josh Ralske, All Movie Guide
Fans of good old-fashioned creature features should be very pleased...
David Nusair, Reel Film Reviews
...too much buildup and not enough payoff.
Jon Popick, Planet Sick-Boy
Will the movie, which was actually quite cool and stylish for the first half, turn into a typical sci-fi/horror/slasher flick? Yes.
Scott Weinberg, eFilmCritic.com
A grim, gruesome, and gloriously gross horror flick about mutated cows and the poor saps stuck on an isolated farm with the bloody bovines.

Read all 9 critic reviews

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Featured Audience Ratings

Randy T

A bloody confluence of <i>Alien</i> and <i>Old McDonald Had A Farm</i>.
Cynthia S

A decent Irish chiller clearly inspired by "Its Alive" and "Alien". I enjoyed the earlier stages more. Isolation here lives up to its name -- the dilapidated and perpetually dark cattle farm, the cows in gruesome distress, and messy bloody trauma scenes. Alas, for… More
A decent Irish chiller clearly inspired by "Its Alive" and "Alien". I enjoyed the earlier stages more. Isolation here lives up to its name -- the dilapidated and perpetually dark cattle farm, the cows in gruesome distress, and messy bloody trauma scenes. Alas, for all that good atmosphere it migrates to the same old critter hunt -- even doing a version of "Aliens" air ducts scene, and then leaving us hanging with an ambiguous ending. yeesh..
Dean !

A very low budget horror set in Ireland on a farm. Very much like the Thing but on a much smaller scale. Great for a low budget indie film. Slow to start but the second half of the film is quite creepy.
A.D. V

Good old-fashioned monster film from Ireland (with nods to Alien and The Thing) about man's continued meddeling with mother nature--this time cows and wind up with a genetic mutation that looks like something out of the imaginaton of HP Lovecraft as it has no discernable shape or… More
Good old-fashioned monster film from Ireland (with nods to Alien and The Thing) about man's continued meddeling with mother nature--this time cows and wind up with a genetic mutation that looks like something out of the imaginaton of HP Lovecraft as it has no discernable shape or symmetry. No CG, decent amounts of gory stuff, competent cast and a brief running time make it a welcome addition to the monster mayhem genre.
Roy G

...too much buildup and not enough payoff.
Jacob P

It was a little slow-paced...and pretty boring at times. But it had awesome acting, and some pretty disgusting\disturbing scenes! Overall, I enjoyed it, and it brought some pretty good intensity.
Christopher B

Called "Alien on a Farm", this is a very good, atmospheric horror film with good performances by the cast and a suspenseful story. Sure it owes a lot to some films that came before it, but it also doesn't try and hide it's influences either. A very entertaining… More
Called "Alien on a Farm", this is a very good, atmospheric horror film with good performances by the cast and a suspenseful story. Sure it owes a lot to some films that came before it, but it also doesn't try and hide it's influences either. A very entertaining film.