Director: Cassie Keet
Year: 2023
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Cult; Horror/Comedy
Plot:
After a devastating breakup, a woman joins her eccentric friends on a road trip into the desert for a girl's trip designed to get her back to normal, but when they’re targeted by members of a human sacrifice cult trying to find a way to lose their virginity must find a way to stop it from coming true.
Review:
This was a likable if somewhat flawed overall effort. One of the more likable factors with this one is the rather fun setup that comes off incredibly well. The early setup involving the relationship between the girls and how they come together to boost their friends’ spirits adds quite a fine fine dynamic and energy to things. With the group given quite a lot to like involving the way they come together for their heartbroken friend, partake in the various rituals trying to get over what happened, and set up the entire purpose of what’s going on with their involvement around the bar, the early setup gets this going rather nicely before turning into the exploits of the cult who have a lot to like as well. As there’s a fun sense of humor evoked through what’s going on, it manages to get some fun elements here.
That provides the film with a fun baseline to let the middle section here work a rather bizarre charm once the failed sacrifice turns this one into a rather fun time. Realizing the severity of the situation and how they’re going to get out of the situation, the way they go about trying to get out of it is by taking the strangers home from the bar to take their place. In contrast, the remaining ones try to help the shocked and shaken cult member try to come to terms with the newfound information about how the world really works. This is all quite funny and propels the film along at a genuinely fast pace as none of this is truly bland or dull with quite a lot going on as the idea of the cult coming to terms with how they’ve been lead astray with the teachings that goes along with the fine action presented here giving the film a lot to like.
This one does have some pretty big issues to be had here. The main issue here is the complete and utter lack of terror that comes about despite the entire concept being about the race to save the girl’s souls from being taken by a demonic creature. Way too much of the film is lighthearted attempts at comedy about how to deal with the situation they’ve found themselves in which is fun enough as an idea but doesn’t have the kind of gripping coverage that goes along with the kind of ideas featured here as the demon isn’t threatening and a lack of urgency due to all the comedic cracks really drains a lot of the tension at play here. While that’s the biggest issue here, some might also find some of the jokes here to be not that funny or humorous so it’s not always going to work as a comedy either which is what holds this back.
Overview: ***.5/5
A fun horror/comedy that might not always work at either, there’s enough to like here to be worthwhile but since its flaws are based on failing at its genres so it’s potentially going to be a problem for some. Give it a shot if you’re fine with either of these features and not bothered by the flaws or are just curious about it, while those that are troubled by what’s going on should heed caution here.
Scream Therapy Movie Trailer from The Knights Young on Vimeo.
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