If you’re looking for a fun time full of viciousness and killing, then this film, Vicious Fun, fits the bill…
Vicious Fun!
Movie Details:
- Release Date: 2020
- “Run”time: 1 hour and 41 minutes
- Where to watch it: Streaming
- Directed by: Cody Calahan
- Written by: James Villeneuve
- Starring:
- Evan Marsh
- Amber Goldfarb
- Ari Millen
Synopsis: A confidence lacking 80’s horror critic finds himself in the presence of a serial killer self-help group!
Open Stab Wounds (out of 10): 7.5
Review: One of my favorite past times is falling asleep on the couch to whatever is on Shudder TV. Part of this experience is waking up in the middle of a random film and being confused on what is going on. This is especially fun if I wake up to something particularly absurd or avant-garde. It’s sometimes disconcerting and sometimes helpful to go back to sleep. Sometimes it’s striking enough to remember, even if I don’t finish it all.
Clearly there’s a reason I introduce that part of my life for the 2020 film Vicious Fun. I can’t quite remember when I’ve seen it before, but after starting it up for today’s article, I started piecing together bits and images from one of those Shudder sleep nights.
The story centers around Joel (Evan Marsh), a horror critic who pines over his roommate, but is quite unrequited. He’s iffy about her current boyfriend and so Evan follows the man to a bar. This stalker act eventually gets Joel into what turns out to be a self-help group for serial killers. This is what drives the rest of the story.
One of the fun things about Vicious Fun is the different types of serial killers. The collection of them, with their preferred methods and choices of victims was a fun concept to explore. From the John Wayne Gacy-ish to hulking brute to pure psychopath. In some ways, it reminded me of the underrated Predators film, in that it was a chance to bring together different… predators (I’m high on Dayquill, give me a break). Julian Richings as Fritz did a particularly solid job of embodying his character (seriously, if they wanted someone to play the Joker, he’d be a great fit)
Eventually, the killers find out that Joel isn’t one of them and this is where the killing takes off. I’ll say the gore is pretty good and plenty bloody. I was happy to see more practical effects here than CGI, which is always more fun. He ends up being protected by one of the killers (Amber Goldfarb) who has motivations of their own and he gets to learn a lesson about not being a creepy little stalker creep and stuff.
The action doesn’t all take place in the bar. Eventually it moves over to a police station with mustachioed police officers that I liked. I mean, they were assholes, but they were fun.
The movie is fun, vicious fun, in fact. I watched it when I woke up this morning and rewatched the last half in the afternoon. I wanted to be able to write about it coherently even with medicine coursing through my veins. Though I’m not sure of the coherent part worked, the fact that I was willing to put extra effort into it says more about the film than I could write.
Go check it out on Shudder! I’m going to go to sleep (maybe I’ll wake up to it in a bit)
Thanks for reading and watching along with us! Be sure to keep up with all 31 days of our Halloween Horror Film coverage!
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