Mulberry Street is a low-budget horror movie, released in 2006, directed by Jim Mickle and written by him and Nick Damici. The movie features a small cast of mostly unknown actors, including people who have since gone on to more prominent roles, such as Nick Damici (who also plays the lead role) and Bokeem Woodbine.
The movie is set in New York City's Lower East Side neighborhood, which is known for its vibrant nightlife and diverse immigrant communities. The movie starts with a news report about a mysterious virus that is spreading throughout the city, carried by infected rats. The virus turns people who are bitten by the rats into aggressive, cannibalistic mutants with enhanced strength and senses. The movie then shifts to a rundown apartment complex on Mulberry Street, where we are introduced to the main characters, who are all tenants in the building.
The lead character is Clutch (Nick Damici), a grizzled Vietnam veteran who works as a handyman in the building. He is returning home after a day's work and is surprised to find that his daughter, Casey (Kim Blair), has come to see him. Casey is a struggling actress who has recently broken up with her girlfriend and is looking for a place to crash. Other characters in the building include Coco (Ron Brice), a blind former boxer who is bitter about his situation, and Kay (Bo Corre), a young mother who is struggling to make ends meet.
As the night progresses, the situation outside deteriorates as the rat-mutants become more aggressive and numerous. The tenants of the building are forced to band together and defend themselves against the attackers, who are able to break into the building through a broken window. The group is aided by Clutch's neighbor, a lesbian cop named John (Antone Pagan), who is also trying to survive the night.
The movie shifts between action-packed scenes of the group fighting off the rat-mutants and quieter moments of character development and exposition. The movie does an admirable job of creating tension and dread with its limited budget and resources. The makeup effects for the rat-mutants are particularly effective and gruesome, and the movie benefits from a strong, gritty atmosphere. The ending is suitably bleak and ambiguous, leaving the fate of the surviving characters uncertain.
Overall, Mulberry Street is a solid example of low-budget horror filmmaking, with a strong cast, effective scares, and a well-realized world. It's worth checking out if you're a fan of the genre, or if you're looking for an intense, fast-paced horror movie that doesn't rely on jump scares or cheap gimmicks.
