Director: Paul Stephen Mann
Year: 2025
Country: United Kingdom
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Slasher
Plot:
Heading out to the woods, a group of friends looking for a spot to watch an approaching meteor fly by Earth find themselves being stalked one by one by a deranged, mutated sailor after ingesting part of a fallen meteor, and must find a way to stop the deranged killer’s rampage.
Review:
Overall, this was a pretty solid and enjoyable outing. Among the more enjoyable features here is the rather solid setup that provides this one with the kind of goofy and cheesy starting point, taking advantage of its public-domain origins. The main setup allows everyone to get out into the woods and encounter the fabled figure rather nicely, as we see the group hanging out and partying in the woods, which provides the requisite amount of joking around, storytelling, and other teenage delinquency that makes it all a lot of fun. With the interactions constantly bringing up and referencing the main legend of the titular figure as they tie it all together into a stereotypical slasher romp, they slowly start to realize that something is wrong with their trip.
That comes about with a solid series of impressive slasher setpieces that focus on the wild antics of the vicious killer that is let loose throughout the woods. From the initial encounter with the laughing teens at the waters’ edge after transforming into the fabled killer, the dismemberment that occurs at a local porta-potty, and the rampage against the group at their camping site that features multiple gruesome and quite graphic encounters, these scenes are quite fun and manage to bring about some inventive deaths. That continues into the wild final half as we get to see a series of impressive tactics trying to fight him off as which includes some wild ideas and plenty of gore. That all gives this one a lot to like.
There are a few factors with this one holding it down. The main detriment to the film is the seemingly innocuous idea that the change occurs the way it does, with everything given such a bland connection to each other, there’s little about it that makes sense. The implication about the meteorite turning him into the hulking killer as he smokes it in his pipe feels like a decent enough idea, but it never seems like that causes anything else to happen to the others who come into contact with it, which makes that being the trigger feel quite underwritten. The other issue here stems from the awful and just plain atrocious CGI on display, as although the aftermath of the kills is practical, many of the more extravagant actions are accomplished with egregious effects that are badly accomplished and lower this significantly. Alongside the bizarre treatment of the title property, these are what bring this down overall.
Overview: ***.5/5
A likeable enough effort, even with some big issues, this one comes together well enough for what it is that there’s more going for it than expected, making it a worthwhile feature. Those with an appreciation for this style or approach to the material will have a lot to like with this one, while most others out there should heed caution.
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