8/10
A generally fun slasher
15 December 2022
Agreeing to help an old friend, a burlesque dance troop arrives for a performance at a special campground in the woods, but when they start to go missing realize that the stories involving a hulking killer living in the area are true when they start to disappear one-by-one.

This was quite a fun and enjoyable indie slasher. Among the better features here is the rather enjoyable setup that brings a lot of to like while still somewhat connecting to the original. Featuring enough references and mentions of the original rampage through the sheriff's continuous searches for the maniac, this goes quite well with the girls and their appearance performing there. Showing a nice bond with their sisterhood and dedication to each other while also having fun performing their show, the group is quite fun and starts to work a fun storyline here. As well, the film scores quite well where, much like the original, the stalking scenes are quite impressive and enjoyable. Opening with an extended chase along the beach where the fully-nude victim has to escape the axe-wielding killer, this sets the bar rather well for the type of chase scene here. The sudden appearance of ambushing a couple alone on a nearby playground or the one model in the showers who thinks her friends are playing with her as she changes come off just as good, featuring suspenseful setups and brutal, frantic confrontations with the madman. That leads in part to the other enjoyable aspect which is the maniacal killer himself. While not the most physically muscular, he's one of the most imposing and vicious in the genre as he'll charge after someone and run like a wild madman with an axe armed and ready to use. The pained groaning and screaming during everything he does make for a creepy aide to his scenes as he clearly doesn't mind announcing his presence, and to cap it off with the viciousness to dish out the brutal, gory deaths or non-fatal punishment since no one leaves unscathed in any form. All give this a wholly enjoyable feel here while there isn't much to dislike with this one. One of the few disappointing features here is the rather underwhelming backstory for the killer, who we've finally given a motive for but makes no sense. It comes off as a clumsy and hamfisted way to explain everything and is really underexplained to help us get a better understanding of his rampage. As well, the finale could be potentially disappointing in terms of the survivors and the overall setup this provides which can lead to a pretty flat ending here. Combined with some traditional indie-style movie-making flaws from time to time, these here are what hold this one down.

Rated Unrated/R: Graphic Violence, Extreme Graphic Language, and Full Nudity.
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