Director: Ama Lea
Year: 2026
Country: USA
Alternate Titles: N/A
Genre: Slasher
Plot:
In the wake of a vicious crime spree, the trainers at a local gym, worried about a serial killer targeting others in the profession, decide to carry on with their normal exercise routines, which only drags them further into the killer's path, and they must try to stop their rampage.
Review:
This was a solid enough if somewhat problematic slasher homage. The central idea here and what's going on here is solid enough and manages to have a lot to like, especially with the old-school neon-drenched aesthetic that works throughout the entire film. Taking place in various gyms and aerobics studios with the appropriate equipment and outfits to help sell the campy tone just enough alongside the themed exercise montages found in the actual work-out sessions that the film is made up of, the concept takes little effort to get into as everything comes together with the random outbursts of a goofy masked killer appearing out of nowhere to stalk and target random members of the gym. From the series of chases around the employee lounge to him taking out members of the video crew during a shoot and the final scenes in the abandoned gym after hours, these all manage to get some fun times here involving solid practical effects and some gory aftermath scenes that have a lot to like here.
Outside of that, though, this one stumbles somewhat when looked at as if there's supposed to be a coherent storyline running throughout here. There's something about the idea of a masked killer bumping off members of a gym, but there's very little story here to support that when the movie frequently stops dead in its tracks for what feels like endless exercise routines that are carried out with genuine enthusiasm but little coherent follow-through. Graced with a timer to accurately count how long we're supposed to be stuck watching these women strut around in lycra waiting for some more straightforward slashing to happen, it almost feels more like a gimmick release than any kind of traditional storytelling that its exaggeratedly brief running time still needs as filler to stretch out to a feature run-length. The engaging format and affection for its source material can only hold this off for so long before it becomes obvious, holding this one down somewhat.
Overview: ***/5
A likable enough if somewhat problematic genre hybrid, this is a solid enough take on mixing up these different formats, even if it's so obviously one-sided in its approach that it might disappoint those looking for the other. Those with an appreciation for this type of genre homage, who are curious about it, or who are fans of the creative crew will have a lot to like, while most others out there should heed caution.
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