Ricky R
A few good laughs, some slapsticky gore, strangely likeable characters but this suffers badly from the run time. Too much of it feels like it's just killing time.
Rated 2/5 Stars •
Rated 2 out of 5 stars
04/15/24
Full Review
Hunkulees H
Logged on and couldn't believe this thing had 100% positive... then I realized that's because it only has 5 votes, lol. That tracks. I saw this and it's prequel being really pushed by Bloody Disgusting this October for some reason. My guess is that someone on the staff is related to these folks, because this movie is ROUGH. I'm sure it is intended as some sort of parody, but it doesn't feel nearly clever enough to pull it off. It just feels like a bad, low budget effort. Not so bad it's good, just so bad it's... mid?
I also feel bad for several of these actors. The little girl in particular, because you can tell that they are new to acting, which is fine (everyone has to start somewhere, and she's surprisingly decent for her age), but they also aren't being given much direction, so it feels like they are just tasked with filling in their own dialogue for much of their scenes, and the result is extreme unnatural awkwardness. The little girl has nonsensical, overly long bits where she's basically making small talk with cats (or a picture of a cat in one part) but was given no instructions on what to say, so she's just rambling on to fill time, like "i like catfish, do you like catfish? You are a cat... do you like fish? Maybe you are also a fish? Are you a catfish?", or asking a picture of a cat if it's "hungry" and "about ready for dinner?"... then just meowing repeatedly after she runs out of things to say to it. She (and the babysitter) are also obviously instructed to dance to music in several scenes, but it's clear they hadn't locked down the music selection yet, so they are dancing to a completely different beat, and/or just awkwardly making fists and unnaturally jerking them in the air to simulate "dancing", ala Elaine from Sinefeld, lol
The special effects are also rouuuuugh. It starts with some uninspired mostly off screen kills, then a photoshop style animated "rip" as a head comes off, followed by a bad CGI of the head inside a football helmet, more offscreen kills, etc… To be fair, later in the film the gore does ramp up a bit, with a garden shears scene in particular being well done. Still low budget, but practical at least, which I appreciate.
There's also just so much horrible dialogue. Stuff like the jock A-hole constantly mocking the kid in the wheelchair (whose character feels like a carbon copy Texas Chainsaw ripoff) and his stuttering friend, one victim telling the killer to "make like a gravy train and get those greased gravy wheels down the road and outta my face boy!" and an awkward guy in "gameface" makeup unenthusiastically walking out of the bedroom singing "do the commonwealth shuffle. The commonwealth shuffle. Come on yall, do the commonwealth shuffle" in a monotone, while his daughter responds (also in monotone) "stop being embarrassing". Also…this movie is really going all out advertising a restaurant called "Catfish Cabin". I'm guessing it's either a fav local dive, or the director cut some kind of deal with them, but they really hammer it over your head, between the little girl constantly demanding "Catfish Cabin! CATFISH CABIN!" in multiple scenes, extended dialogue about the place, commercials for the place inserted into the movie, or the fact that they finally go there because everyone universally agrees it's the greatest place to serve food on the face of the earth. It definitely sets up some eye rolls after the 50th time they mention it. It's the low budget equivalent of everyone winking and drinking a "cool refreshing Pepsi" in every scene
And the killer isn't ominous, or scary (he's a skinny dude wearing a suit and a dollar store Halloween mask) and honestly doesn't even make sense. He just casually, almost lethargically drives his hearse (yes, lol, he drives a hearse) from house to house, blandly walking in without any real purpose and killing people in the most unenthusiastic, color by numbers way, before shuffling off to repeat. With no real motive in mind. Or any sense of urgency. He also seems to be immortal, which is demonstrated in an fairly uninteresting way. A guy points a gun at him and tells him to leave his property, then oddly, and unemotionally just shoots him anyway, the killer doesn't react, or even flinch, a really cheap looking photoshop style blood mist sprays, the killer doesn't react, the guy opens fire several more times, same cheap special effect, no reaction, then they both just sort of stand there looking at each other, presumably waiting to be cued on whatever the next line is. Cut! Next scene
This is the tone that this movie sets, and never rises above. It has a very going through the paces feel to it. This was billed as some sort of clever throwback parody to movies like Friday the 13th. But can't seem to pull it off. This doesn't feel intentionally bad, or like it's making some sort of comedic point, despite what you've heard. This just feels like a very plain, standard, middling, low budget movie, who claims to be "bad on purpose" but instead just feels unintentionally mediocre
Rated 0.5/5 Stars •
Rated 0.5 out of 5 stars
11/29/23
Full Review
Brad P
Infectious Slasher Homage Recreates the Video Store Era
Rated 3.5/5 Stars •
Rated 3.5 out of 5 stars
05/08/23
Full Review
Max H
Awesome horror comedy slasher flick. Brilliant take off on Halloween and Friday the 13th. Also, the fact that it's set in Alabama really stood out for me as an Alabamian myself. Catfish Cabin! Catfish Cabin! Catfish Cabin! 10/10
Rated 5/5 Stars •
Rated 5 out of 5 stars
05/06/23
Full Review
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