Storage 24's leading man, Noel Clarke, is about as divisive as they come in Britain, despite his CV being a lot more diverse than many give him credit for. Here he plays the despondent, and likely equally divisive, Charlie, who's struggling to come to terms with a recent break-up. He incessantly whines about Shelley, who barely smiles or acts like a human being throughout, although she has other things on her mind. His forlorn behaviour is simultaneously pathetic and amusing, offering some light relief in the darker moments, but he's forced to focus on the task at hand when the storage facility goes on lockdown and the power goes out.
Charlie, Shelley and their small group of friends are soon hunted by a brilliantly nasty creature, forcing them to try and find a way out or surely meet a very grisly death by its giant hands or numerous teeth. As the group is forced to run from the beast, they encounter David (Ned Dennehy) a man so delightfully nutty that he uses an electric toothbrush like a knife and lives in his own storage lot.
The group wisely come to the conclusion that they simply won't be able to survive if they remain unarmed, forcing Charlie and Mark to crawl through the air vents on the hunt for anything they can find to keep them alive through the night. Not only does this hunt for armaments deliver the promise of action, the suspense mounts and the chuckle-count rises. As with most of the film's key moments, expect cheering, wincing and laughing all within the space of a few seconds.The film is a fairly well-run course and there aren't too many surprises, but even if you have seen much of it before, there's enough here to make it a very solidly enjoyable film. Think of it as a low-budget, British version of Predator with relationship politics and Arnold Schwarzenegger's muscle-bound hero replaced by a soppy London lad and you're almost there. Not all of the characters are given enough to do, most significantly Nikki, who desperately lacks an arc of her own.
Ultimately, the film is such fun and at under ninety minutes it doesn't outstay its welcome or grate where films that take themselves more seriously might. If you're expecting a fun, light way to spend an evening without having your mind blown then this one fits the bill perfectly. Johannes Roberts has come a long way since his early work, but along with his last effort, F, this is proof the man should be on the radar of all enthusiasts of British horror.
