- Directed by: Marcel Walz
- Written by: Joe Knetter
- Stars: Adriane McLean, Sarah French, Gigi Gustin
- Run Time: 1 Hour, 45 Minutes
- Trailer: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ByijGTh-LtU
Spoiler-Free Judgment Zone
It’s another killer family and a group of victims who are in the wrong place at the wrong time. They captured the retro look and feel of this one very well; the acting is good with well-defined characters, and the special effects were very realistic. It wasn’t anything particularly original, but it’s well put together and entertaining.
Spoilery Synopsis
August 19, 1976, in the desert, we zoom into two girls broken down on the highway. The road is completely deserted, so hitching probably isn’t going to happen. “There has to be something off this road,” as June and Raquel begin walking. They eventually come to an old, abandoned mine and go inside to cool off. There are lights already on in the mine, and they stop for some kissing. They hear something and get spooked. A man with an axe shows up, and the screaming starts. They are very much not alone in the cave– Raquel sets one of the men on fire, but another comes out with a chainsaw. Credits roll.
A bunch of stereotypical 70s young people park in the desert in their van. The driver explains that this place is called “Death,” or at least that’s the nickname because so many people go missing here. He says “Texas Chainsaw Massacre” was based on what actually happened right here. Ray says, no that movie was based on Ed Gein, not anything around here. The group is here for a photo shoot for Roxy and Raquel, who hasn’t arrived yet.
Elsewhere, Raquel wakes up and finds herself chained up in a barn. Daisy, a bald man in drag, walks in, and he’s not sympathetic to her plight. He wants her to call him pretty. He’s wearing the breasts he removed from June. She gets away but is soon recaptured by Brutus, another masked man. She’s returned to captivity, where she watched the now-three masked men dismember what’s left of June.
Since Raquel hasn’t shown up for the photo shoot, everyone talks Raquel’s sister, Sunshine, into taking her place. They soon finish, but the girls want to visit the ghost town they saw a little while ago. “One of us is definitely getting murdered here,” jokes the driver. They soon run into Mama Birdy, who lives there. She says it’s fine to look around, just stay on this side of the road.
As the group explores, we get to know the group a little better. Ray goes into an outhouse and finds a glory hole. He tries it and very quickly regrets it. Sunshine and Roxy talk about how much Roxy likes Adam. Jordy explores with his camera until he comes across one of the masked men. He avoids that guy but then runs into Brutus with his chainsaw. Brutus turns around and sees Sunshine standing there watching.
Mama Birdy cackles when Charlie hears the chainsaw across the road. She knows all about the killer family. He goes looking and finds Sunshine locked in a box. Daisy shows up, and Sunshine stabs Charlie. Could she be in on it, or is she just wildly incompetent?
Adam and Roxy barricade themselves inside a building as Brutus cuts his way in. Sunshine walks in just as Brutus breaks Adam’s back. “You got him. He was too nice anyway,” she says. They don’t see Roxy, who’s hiding. Sunshine and Brutus have sex as Roxy listens from under the bed.
Sunshine runs to Roxy, pretending to be innocent, and she’s got the keys to the van. Roxy knows what’s up and knocks her out, taking the keys. Turns out, they’re the wrong keys, and Roxy gets stuck in the van as Sunshine menaces her from outside. “You’re the chosen one,” Sunshine taunts.
We cut to Mama Birdy and Raquel, who is still chained to a bed. “You’ve outlived all of your friends,” Mama congratulates her. Roxy manages to talk to Phoenix about Sunshine, whom she tattles about Brutus. Brutus and Phoenix fight, and Brutus easily wins.
Mama rings the church bell, and the whole group gets together. Sunshine, Daisy, Brutus, Roxy, and Zeus all march into the church. Mama Birdy stands up, and she’s got very realistic-looking bat wings, like a demon. Mama talks about the Bicentennial and how there’s no real freedom in the USA. “Technology is creating a new world, one of hate. A reckoning is coming.”
They all want Roxy to join their weird family. Roxy talks about how people living in the past will be weeded out, generation by generation. Zeus leads Raquel in and threatens to kill her. No, Raquel has joined the family now as well. Raquel stabs Roxy; she really has gone over to their side, fully brainwashed.
Later, Raquel has a saw to cut up Roxy, but Roxy’s not quite dead and stabs her first. Roxy then staggers off to lie down next to Adam and die.
Brian’s Commentary
It’s a retro-slasher film that borrows heavily from Texas Chainsaw, which even gets a callout in the film itself. It’s a killer family, for no real reason other than they like it. As isolated as they all are, why bother wearing masks? It’s the desert, it’s gotta be hot.
The masks worn by the killers are really distinctive and well-designed. The characters are all individuals, and you get to see their personalities before they’re brutally killed off.
It’s very good!
Kevin’s Commentary
This one had me feeling nostalgic for my childhood when I was taken to see “The Texas Chainsaw Massacre” when I was nine. And it reminded me of other 1970s films in the horror genre that I saw then and again since. This movie is like them, only made with better effects and a bigger budget. It’s good and entertaining.