Rating 15
Length 1h41
Release 01.03.2024
Director Zelda Williams
About A misunderstood teenager and a reanimated Victorian corpse embark on a murderous journey together to find love, happiness, and a few missing body parts.
Moon: Clip of the full moon from Un Chien Andalou (1929) is seen on the tv and the moon is painted on Lisa’s wall.
Where to Watch: Cinema now
Trailer:
The Good
The 80s is the shit right now in movies. From Totally Killer to the worldwide favourite Stranger Things, audiences can’t quite get enough. This one is not only set in 1989, it heavily draws inspiration from Heathers and Edward Scissorhand for it’s tone and palate.
Kathryn Newton is most definitely one to watch. Even from her early performances in Supernatural I knew she would be able to carry a film with ease. Yes, audiences are in for a bit of a clunky start but once she starts her experiments with ‘The Creature’, and she’s able to have fun with her character you can see why she was picked.
The film completes the 80s feel with Ted Wheeler from Stranger Things by being Ted here too! Yes, the actor has a name that most definitely isn’t Ted Wheeler, but he will forever be Ted “What did I do?” Wheeler to me.
The horror aspect is genius. I love the decisions behind who is killed and it really is refreshing to be watching from the killer’s perspective.
The Bad
Cole Sprouse does a pretty decent job and I initially placed him under ‘good’. However, I couldn’t help but wish this was made even 5 years ago and we could have had Matthew Gray Gubler in the role.
The Ugly
The pace is a little too slow and clunky at the start to set up Lisa’s temperament. I really do wish the film hadn’t bothered with a serial killer and not bring it back again. Particularly when we could have easily had a ‘I myself am strange and unusual’ Lydia without the backstory. That way we remove some of the fat from the opening and start at the party.
Even when Newton and Sprouse are able to let loose and have fun, it’s almost like it’s stuck in second gear and screeching along. It’s aiming for the dark comedy of Freaky, Totally Killer and Its a Wonderful Knife but the script lacks the laughs. Add to that the opening attempted rape and the death of a parent and the tone is too set to bring it back.
Final Thoughts
It has a Heathers meets Edward Scissorhands by way of Warm Bodies vibe and is very much channeling the ‘lets make the 80s nostalgic’ that is so popular at the moment, however it doesn’t quite live up to what the trailer offers.
Had it not taken itself so seriously and played on Newton’s experience in Freaky, it might have been a better film.
The Queens of Geekdom 