I often criticize movies for indulging in tropes and clichés, and I could see how some would levy such critiques at this film. After all, the fundamental plot is 100% stereotypical horror (i.e. a small group goes to an isolated location and gets picked off one by one until the final girl is left to battle it out against the villain). And yet, I absolutely loved it. It just goes to show that tropes and clichés aren't inherently bad. What's bad is lazy implementation in films that don't bring anything new to the table. The setup of this story (the filming of a low budget porno) is unique, and the source of the horror elements (a horny/creepy old couple) is brilliantly intertwined with that setup, both thematically and narratively. The characters are interesting and well realized, and backed by strong performances. And while the big picture plot points are classic horror, the moment to moment story beats are violently and delightfully unpredictable. I can't complement the writing enough. It honestly felt like the writers were just showing off, as they somehow incorporated a meaningful reveal into the final minutes of a movie that was already excellent.
Shout by SkinnyFilmBuffVIP 8BlockedParent2022-05-08T01:31:05Z
I often criticize movies for indulging in tropes and clichés, and I could see how some would levy such critiques at this film. After all, the fundamental plot is 100% stereotypical horror (i.e. a small group goes to an isolated location and gets picked off one by one until the final girl is left to battle it out against the villain). And yet, I absolutely loved it. It just goes to show that tropes and clichés aren't inherently bad. What's bad is lazy implementation in films that don't bring anything new to the table. The setup of this story (the filming of a low budget porno) is unique, and the source of the horror elements (a horny/creepy old couple) is brilliantly intertwined with that setup, both thematically and narratively. The characters are interesting and well realized, and backed by strong performances. And while the big picture plot points are classic horror, the moment to moment story beats are violently and delightfully unpredictable. I can't complement the writing enough. It honestly felt like the writers were just showing off, as they somehow incorporated a meaningful reveal into the final minutes of a movie that was already excellent.