Jeremy Sisto is a census taker stranded in the isolated town of Rockwell Falls, population 436 (and shot in Canada, of course). His car breaks down just outside of Rockwell Falls, and the good folks of Rainbow Falls make it plain he won't be leaving anytime soon. Sisto immediately takes a shine to a comely local gal and becomes concerned with the plight of a young female orphan who is being helped captive by the town's nutty doctor. He becomes a witness to the town's madness, which not too surprisingly involves human sacrifice, and decides it's time to skeedaddle. You can guess where the plot goes from there. Sisto is very good, as always. The movie is clearly a made-for-video job, and done as well as any made-for-TV movie. It reminded me very briefly of the Bette Davis 1978 TV miniseries, THE DARK SECRET OF HARVEST HOME, wherein a family moves into an idyllic new England town only to discover it's run by a coven of witches. The sets and locations of POPULATION 436 look to be right out of Sisto's previous WRONG TURN, which was also shot in Canada. There are some thrills, although the flick is highly predictable. The gore is minimal but effective, especially scenes involving electric shock therapy and the aftermath of a lobotomy. A spooky basement scene may remind some of SILENCE OF THE LAMBS, among others. Worth a look. The squeamish are unlikely to mind.
Review of Population 436
