I won't lie, I wasn't expecting a masterpiece here. The film was clearly made with an indie budget, and I went in knowing and respecting that. I'm also a huge fan of novelist Adam Cesare, who wrote this film (although not the original story).
The first 30 minutes or so had me hooked - the cult was creepy, their motive was mysterious, and the confined setting of a bowling alley is perfect for a close-quarters slasher. At a certain point, it started to completely fall apart. Horrible acting by the lead guy in particular. I wasn't sure if they made his character intentionally ridiculous or not but it did not serve the film - he was neither funny nor convincing.
And after a cringe-worthy climax, the movie literally just sort of ends. No explanation. What was the goal of the cult? What was their grand mathematical plan? A lack of explanation can be very effective, leaving certain things to the viewers' imaginations. This was not the case here.
Horror comedies are obviously difficult to make - they mostly end up either filled with jump scares or too much "comedy" that rarely, if ever, sticks the landing.
Steer clear of this one, but don't let that stop you from checking out Cesare's novels - the man knows horror and he knows how to write it well.
The first 30 minutes or so had me hooked - the cult was creepy, their motive was mysterious, and the confined setting of a bowling alley is perfect for a close-quarters slasher. At a certain point, it started to completely fall apart. Horrible acting by the lead guy in particular. I wasn't sure if they made his character intentionally ridiculous or not but it did not serve the film - he was neither funny nor convincing.
And after a cringe-worthy climax, the movie literally just sort of ends. No explanation. What was the goal of the cult? What was their grand mathematical plan? A lack of explanation can be very effective, leaving certain things to the viewers' imaginations. This was not the case here.
Horror comedies are obviously difficult to make - they mostly end up either filled with jump scares or too much "comedy" that rarely, if ever, sticks the landing.
Steer clear of this one, but don't let that stop you from checking out Cesare's novels - the man knows horror and he knows how to write it well.