A Review of ‘Final Recovery’: Drugs and blood blend to make for an occasionally interesting horror yarn
A regularly-admitted junkie suspects the true motives of a small rehab home.
‘Final Recovery’: Drugs and blood blend to make for an occasionally interesting horror yarn
Cast: Charlene Tilton, Jasper Cole, Richard Tyson, Michael Emery, Kaiti Wallen, Cherish Lee, Damien Chinappi, Harley Wallen, Heather Fairbanks, Kayden Bryce, Shelby Bradley, Chevonne Wilson, Anna Elizabeth Thompson, Michael R. Snell, Jerry Hayes, Dominique Alexander, Eric Weber, Dan Kieri
Critic’s Rating: 3 Stars out of 5
Director: Harley Wallen
Duration: 1 hour, 36 minutes
Genre: Horror, Thriller
Language: English
Release: 2025
What’s it about?
A regularly-admitted junkie suspects the true motives of a small rehab home.
Review
Final Recovery is the latest offering by Harley Wallen who has been making something of a name for himself as a director of morbid flicks. Although Wallen’s efforts have been hit and miss, this horror film is a middling endeavour at combining drug addicts and those running a rehab home. When a young lady witnesses her father’s murder by a junkie, the traumatizing incident has a profound impact on her. So much so, that compassion compels her to start a facility to welcome these unfortunates, treat them, and prepare them to re-enter society as properly functioning individuals. Although, “Nanny Lou” (Charlene Tilton) has the right intension towards her clients, will her plan go to script? An interesting idea and good performances are diluted by somewhat slow plot progression and the repetition of information that has already been established. Still, there is a fair amount of mystery, thrills and chills to keep the film buoyant.
The story in set in motion when a couple of cops - Jacob and Levi (Harley Wallen and Michael Emery) - retrieve a heavy narcotics user - Rodney (Jasper Cole) - from his van and bring him to small home for recovering addicts. On their arrival, the place’s top authority Nanny Lou pays the uniformed duo and instructs her in-house physician - Dr. Sam Potter (Richard Tyson) – to attend to Rodney who is in pitiful physical condition. It seems Lou is concerned about her discharged patients and tries to keep a track of them. However, she mentions mysterious “specials”, which one assumes are medicines to help addicts recover. The next day, Rodney’s estranged wife Rhonda (Heather Fairbanks) shows up at the facility with their adolescent daughter Kylie (Kayden Bryce) and a bitter conversation ensues.
Rodney’s disgruntled former spouse berates him for not going straight even though he claims he is trying to do so. Later, during a group therapy session with his fellow-residents, Rodney voices his scepticism of the activity. But then he strikes up a friendship with the new-comer Dustin (Damien Chinappi). Dustin’s concerned sister Cindy (Kaiti Wallen) strikes a deal with Lou to allow her brother and Rodney to work at her shop for a few hours every day. But does Lou have a scheme brewing with his unconventional move? Then, Rodney starts to notice a suspicious trend during the stay of his fellow residents and confides in Dustin about the same. One also wonders whether Rodney’s constant relapsing is his own fault.
The complex role of Nanny Lou has been fitting entrusted to veteran actress Charlene Tilton who made her mark in the hit TV soap Dallas, where she played the manipulative Lucy Ewing. Tilton gets fairly competent company in this film by Jasper Cole who had a small but interesting cameo in the positively received thriller Fall (2022), and Richard Tyson who played a Delta Force soldier in the critical and commercial success Black Hawk Down (2002). Director Wallen tries hard to marshal his stars and supporting cast across plot points, but is marred by a slightly spotty script from Jerry Lee Davis and Nick Theurer. Themes of wayward consciences and veiled blackmail are pretty affectively handled, but the often dully-lit cinematography and uneven editing detract from the film’s overall appeal. Still, those viewers who are titillated by gore might not be disappointed with the film’s ending, especially with one character disposed of by a “taste of (their) own medicine”.
The film is populated by several characters, many of whom seem to have a distinctive character and history of their own – especially the group therapy participants: Tonya (Cherish Lee), Heather (Anna Elizabeth Thompson) and Walt (Dominique Alexander). But their words and actions don’t always elicit the viewer’s sympathy, empathy or relatability. Still, the sincere attempt at bringing together these various roles deserves recognition and praise. This flick should also be credited for putting a curious spin to the scenario of drug addiction and conspiracies that feed it. Film buffs might be intermittently reminded of scenarios in mainstream movies like Coma (1978) and The Changeling (2008). If you’re not the squeamish type, then this blood-and-guts-and drugs celluloid outing may be just the adventure for you. Indeed, the gritty viewer will be engaged enough to learn if and how the floundering, dope-infused protagonist will make a… Final Recovery.
