Walled In

Lore & Background

The Malestrazza Building was the scene of a horrible series of murders where sixteen people were entombed in the walls. The building's architect, Joseph Malestrazza, orchestrated these murders as a form of human sacrifice, believing that the Great Pyramid of Giza survived for thousands of years because workers were killed and buried during its construction. Among his victims were Mary's husband and daughter, Julie, which caused a vengeful Mary to imprison Malestrazza in a hidden shaft at the bottom of the building. The building has 27 total structures built by Malestrazza, all still standing, with the Malestrazza building considered his masterpiece.

In Their Own Story

The film opens when a little girl, Julie (Sophi Knight), wakes up to find herself in a small concealed room. When the room starts filling with cement from all corners, the girl cries for her father, but the cement only continues to rise, and eventually she is buried alive. Fifteen years later, Sam arrives at the Malestrazza Building and is greeted by Mary (Deborah Kara Unger), the caretaker. Jimmy (Cameron Bright), Mary's teenage son, explains the rules: stay off the eighth floor and the roof. Sam discovers the building's murder history and is eventually trapped in a shaft with Malestrazza, who has been imprisoned there by Mary. Sam eventually kills Malestrazza after he taunts her, and he thanks her as he falls into his tomb. The demolition team arrives, and Jimmy throws himself off the roof, landing next to Sam. Sam is lifted out and put in an ambulance as Mary is arrested.

Reader's Guide

The film premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival on 20 February 2009. It received a straight-to-DVD release in North America on 17 March 2009. There is an accompanying graphic novel by the same name produced by Spacedog, published through Ape Entertainment, and available in April 2009. It was released by Momentum Pictures on DVD on 5 October 2009 in the United Kingdom. The film has received mixed critical reviews. DVD Talk rated the film 3/5 stars, praising the performances and the effectiveness of the low budget, though the review concluded the film deserved a stronger conclusion. IGN rated it 5/10, describing Barton as "terrific" and Bright as "wooden." Real Movie News described the film as "atmospheric" and "attractive" but questioned its confused identity. FemaleFirst gave the film 4 out of 5 stars, calling it a "psychological horror that's sure to send chills down your spine" and a "gritty Mirrors meets Captivity horror thriller."

Did You Know?

• The film is based on the best-selling French novel Les Emmurés by Serge Brussolo.
• It is Gilles Paquet-Brenner's English-language film debut.
• The film premiered at the Glasgow Film Festival on 20 February 2009.
• There is an accompanying graphic novel by the same name, produced by Spacedog and published through Ape Entertainment in April 2009.
• The film features a character named Joseph Malestrazza who believes the Great Pyramid of Giza survived because workers were killed and buried during its construction.