I've been a fan of genres films since I was a kid; I grew up watching horror and thrillers like Scream, Candyman, Silence of the lambs, Dusk till dawn, and so many others. I'm a fan of slashers and gore, but also really enjoy when a film lets me in on the characters backstory. I think this is one of the reason The Welder resonated with me. It wasn't scary in the traditional sense, I wouldn't compare this film to the insidious franchise or Hereditary for example; I feel like those films fall squarely in the horror genre category, The Welder is different. It combines elements of Body horror, thriller, drama, and heck even a pinch of that delicious camp we all loved from the 90s. With those ingredients combined, The Welder really delivers in more ways then one. Firstly, since there is such an intimate cast, Director David Liz and co-writer Manny Delgadillo were able to really develop each character like an onion, with many, many layers. This allowed me to really understand who each character was and why they were doing what they were doing; which in turn helped me understand the film on a deeper level. Another thing I liked about the film was the acting. It was a cast of unknowns, but they were so good. Camila Rodriguez (Eliza) and Roe Dunkley (Roe) really sell their relationship and I really felt for Roe when.... Actually, no spoilers here, watch the film. Camila is a beautiful, young, and Latina actress who has so much talent she is most certainly not going to remain unnoticed for long. Roe is so good as well, he reminds me of a mix between young Will Smith and John David Washington. Vincent De Paul (Dr. Godwin) plays an amazing villain, who turns out to be more of an anti-hero. Mr. De Paul was excellent, his deep and honest portrayal of Dr. Godwin was moving and expertly executed; you can tell he is a seasoned performer, such a phenomenal actor. Cristian Howard (Don) plays the perfect Igor (Frankenstein reference), with his expertly executed depiction matched with his piercing green eyes he really created a magical mood which I haven't seen in a horror film for a long time. The thing I liked most about the movie is it's message of unity. Although there are scares, blood, sparks, and cut off limbs the overall message is one of togetherness. Like their tagline reads: We're all Red inside. In a way this movie is certainly trying to teach it's viewers a lesson, almost like a warning to society: Sometimes when you try to fix things, you inadvertently makes things worse.
Review of The Welder
