“You’ve got 10 seconds to go or Daddy’s gonna nail it to the chair”
Lola-The Loved Ones
I blame myself. When researching films to watch this Halloween, I wanted to see an eclectic group of films. I wanted films I hadn’t noticed. I wanted underseen films. I didn’t do enough research on this one. This is a Troma film. I’m not a fan of Troma. I’m not saying there isn’t a place in the film landscape for them to exist. It’s just not for me.
What brought me to this film was the premise. I was intrigued by a killer who stalks fathers and a son who wants revenge. I stand by this. The premise is fascinating, but it goes further. A sadist named Chris Fuchman has been raping and killing fathers for years. Ahab was a boy when Fuchman murdered his dad. He tries to take revenge, but he kills the wrong guy and is sent to prison. After Ahab gets out, he is brought back to society by a priest, Father John Sullivan. Twink, a young delinquent, has recently witnessed his father being killed. The three of them team up to hunt Fuchman, getting into some crazy situations as the murders continue.
I won’t spend much time reviewing this film because it wasn’t made for me. The acting is fine, and the lead actor, Adam Brooks, is talented. He knows the kind of film he’s in and embraces the insanity. The rest of the cast is borderline good. There are varying degrees of quality. The script is bonkers. It’s both poorly written and insanely original at the same time. The direction is confusing and probably the worst aspect of the film. Nothing is blocked well. The close-ups are awkward. The effects are bad. The makeup is good.
This is my fault. I thought I did enough research. If I had known this was a Troma film, I wouldn’t have put it on the list. I know there’s an audience for these films, so I’m trying to cut it some slack, but holy shit, this movie is terrible. The premise is interesting, but the result isn’t.
Rating: 2/10
