Director: Patrick Brice
Year: 2021
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Slasher
Plot:
After a brutal murder of a classmate, teens in a small Nebraska town are terrified to learn the killer has set off a reign of terror in the town by exposing their secrets before killing them, forcing the group to band together to find out the killer and stop them before the rampage is finished.
Review:
This was a rather fun if problematic modern slasher. One of the more enjoyable features here is the films' highly topical take on modern high school and teenager dynamics which is quite well-handled. From the socially conscious to the point of being politically-correct assertations regarding the treatment of sexuality in the characters, the openness to gender equality and all matters of modern party atmosphere that all high-school students are concerned with causes this to feel quite in touch with modern society that is quite appealing to those that appreciate this kind of setup.
As well, there's also quite a lot to like with the films' slasher antics which are quite enjoyable for the most part. The opening attack on the jock in his house starts this off on a strong note, while later scenes including the attack on the girl in the church, the fantastic stalking of the student at the house party through the air ducts, and the finale in the cornfield all present itself with some solid action and stalking scenes. The idea of using the mask as a changeable object utilizing features reminiscent of their target makes for a creepy look while keeping the identity hidden, and along with the more graphic-than-expected gore here provide this with enough to like that hold it up over its flaws.
There are some detrimental issues found here. The main issue present is the rather unlikeable and highly irritating main group of friends that we're supposed to follow who are just utterly vapid and uninteresting to be around. While they spend the vast majority of the time engaging in topical discussion or school issues that they're eventually exposed as liars, hypocrites or worse manage to make it really hard to feel interested in them or what's going on once the secrets start being revealed. The idiocy to throw a massive underground party that makes it quite easy for the killer to target them at one location makes for an even bigger reason not to care about this group in the slightest.
The other problem here is the films' rather bizarre and off-beat structure. Since this also manages to throw so many characters out there in the friend group by being involved in the high school as much as they are, the first half feels quite familiar with the genre setup trying to pick the killer's identity out and living their own lives. Then there's the weird decision to include a massive party in the second act which could've been a big showstopper that only serves as a location to knock off a single victim and sets up the final half with the characters more concerned with keeping secrets than dealing with a masked killer on the loose. As well as it makes the identity a mystery, there's little investigation into it which is a big shame staying on these points which all end up bringing this one down.
Overview: ***/5
An enjoyable genre effort that does have some issues, that there’s a lot to like here but is still held down by its flaws is enough to make this one a somewhat enjoyable if flawed modern slasher. Give it a shot if you’re a fan of this kind of genre or intrigued about the style taken here while most others, especially those who are turned off by the negatives on display, should heed caution somewhat.
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