My latest triple feature covers racial issues, high school issues, and found footage clichés. Let’s get right to them.
STAY OUT (2022)
Even though it’s not a great movie, you’ve gotta love a 69-minute indie horror flick that shoves “woke” down your throat and openly mocks white supremacy, religious extremism, and unfortunately, Florida, which has become somewhat of the capital of both.
2 interracial couples are on a road trip to South Beach. Dumbest characters ever for even driving through Florida.
Anyway, loads of dialogue features snarky swings at everything awful that conservatives hold dear.
Naturally the kids get a flat. Oddly, they end up in a seemingly abandoned town where they actually find a Black couple running a diner.
Then it’s tons of talking again. Sigh.
As dull as it is, the final act brings on an interesting twist that is nothing like you’d expect, lands the film in a traditional horror subgenre, and has some suspenseful horror elements, even if they are cheap due to budget limitations. That doesn’t mean I’m recommending this movie in any way.
HORROR HIGH (2020)
Made by a high school AV club with little money, this film with a clever plot, sleek production, and some intense creature feature moments is hindered by an excessive 107-minute length that really hurts the pace and leads to a lot of repetition before finally getting to the monster madness.
The film was originally called Tardy Terror because it’s about a monster that kills off kids that come to class late, but the word tardy is so last millennium, so I guess the distributor made the title change to the generic Horror High.
There’s somewhat of a nonlinear narrative here, which also spoils the flow of the film, but the basic premise is that a bunch of nerds has to contend with a tardy monster and its emotionless school staff minions. it’s definitely reminiscent of The Faculty—hell, there’s even an early 2000s EMO style song used for a montage at the end.
The first half of the film can feel like a drag. You have to stick with it to follow what’s going on, because many of the initial attacks are presented in flashbacks each time the main kids gather at an arcade to review what is going on in their school. They also find an unlikely ally in an adult burnout (who adds some comic relief), plus they have to avoid a bunch of bullies while trying to save their city.
Once the creature finally comes out to play, it’s here to stay. You can really tell the kids that made this movie did their homework. There are great suspense moments and intense camera angles, and the monster is a satisfying treat.
I think the film is worth a watch, especially for aspiring filmmakers to see what can be done on a limited budget…when you have your school’s AV equipment at your disposal.
WE FOUND SOMETHING (2022)
As much as I despise most found footage films, this equally formulaic film would have been one of the more satisfying ones if the creature didn’t look like a cheap Halloween store makeup job. It’s bad to the point of distracting, especially considering it’s always soaked in bright flashlight beam. Maybe the makers of this film should have seen what a bunch of AV club kids pulled off with their monster…
The premise is familiar. The characters—this time a brother and sister—head into the woods. Reason being, the brother is afraid of heights and his sister is making him go rock climbing to get over it. To think they could have simply gone to one of those indoor climbing walls in which you’re strapped to a harness.
Doesn’t matter, because after the usual conversational filler, the brother barely gets to climb before he sees a two-legged creature eating a bird. He becomes obsessed with finding the creature.
At the halfway mark, the creature encounters ramp up, which would be awesome if not for the Halloween costume aspect.
However, what I like about this film is a) the reveal of a secret the sister is keeping from her brother, and b) the truth that comes out about the creature in the final few minutes of the film. There’s something very raw, disturbing, and found footage fresh about the way things play out.
