The film was received as a political satire with mixed reviews from critics. Some complimented the originality, humor, special effects, and performances of Weinberger and Butler, while others found issues with pacing, some dialogue, and unlikable characters. Butler received nominations for acting, screenplay, and editing at the 13th Oceanside International Film Festival.
Plot
During an epidemic in Hemet, California that is turning bath salt users into cannibals, landlady Liz Topham-Myrtle (Brian Patrick Butler) grows more vicious toward her tenants every day. For some, she revokes privileges such as their parking spot, while others are faced with eviction, all for no reason other than Liz’s seemingly random cruelty. With the local law enforcement also under her thumb, Liz seems unstoppable.
A tenant named Rosie (Kimberly Weinberger) tolerates Liz in fear of what might happen if she is evicted, while Gary (Matthew Rhodes) formulates a plan to overthrow his oppressor. When Gary begins enacting his plan, Liz amps up her abuse of the tenants, drawing Rosie into a web of paranoia that hurtles them all down a path of explosive violence.
Film Carnage indicated the film is "playing by its own rules and embracing the b-movie vibe."[13] Film Purgatory suggested a complex addition to the genre, calling it a "B-movie with A-movie ideas."[14]1428 Elm noted slasher elements.[15]Film Threat said it matches the tone of The Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2, "but with the energy of a stage play"[16] and About Boulder noted Butler's character resembles "Granny Leatherface."[17]
Capitalism and political satire
Some critics said the film centers around capitalism.
Jim McLennan at Film Blitz said the film "takes wild, swinging punches at everything from capitalism to pandemic response," noting "The apartment complex stands in for society in microcosm". He also acknowledged an expansion of ideas from Butler's previous screenplay Friend of the World, "while remaining an exercise in the world falling apart when subjected to external pressures."[18] Film critic Eddie Harrison suggested the film "aims to take down the American/capitalist dream in bloody, unpleasant fashion."[6] Elements of Madness compared the foul-mouthed political nature of the film to William Shakespeare, saying the film "speaks to the current groundlings about relevant issues of housing, community, safety, and the failure of the U.S. government to take care of its citizenry by focusing on capitalism over people."[19]
Variety stated that it "includes elements of political satire that highlight issues of authority and rebellion."[8] Olmos said it is a political film about "abuse of power and how power corrupts people and can turn neighbor against neighbor."[12] Voices from the Balcony praised the "hysterical, social and political commentary."[20] Film critic Sean Parker at 25YL claims it is "the absurd political satire we need now".[21] Anton Bitel at Projected Figures said, "Tony Olmos’ crude dystopian satire pits desperate tenants against a Trumpian lessor – and each other."[22] Film Carnage concluded, "It’s as if you merged satire with exploitation and created a strange kind of crooked comedy."[13]
Dystopia and fairy tale
Morbidly Beautiful said it is set in the "dystopian future with fairy tale aspects."[23] Film critic Anton Bitel also described it as a dystopia with the character Liz resembling "a witch and a troll for the almost fairy tale nature of her wickedness."[22] Stuart Monroe called it a "satirical fairy tale horror."[24] Elements of Madness said the film "fulfills its promise as a fairy tale (Grimm style) that cautions audiences that eating the rich creates a vacuum that’s best filled with uplifting forces or we’re just going to end up where we started."[19]
Zombie apocalypse
Critics describe the zombies in the film as people driven homicidal by bath salts.[18][20][21]Film Threat called it an epidemic of homeless flesh eaters,[16] and 1428 Elm said there is "a zombie-like narrative and epidemic that plays out", but it is mostly part of the setting.[15] Film Purgatory points out that although the zombies are not the main focus of the story, there are references to Night of the Living Dead filmmaker George Romero and 28 Days Later.[14] Some said the film indirectly references the COVID-19 pandemic.[18][19][21][25]
Jim Morazzini at Voices from the Balcony gave it a 4 out of 5, saying they were "entertained and amused by this combination of crude humour and smart satire."[20] Rebecca Cherry at Film Carnage scored it 7 out of 10, stating it's "an interesting and unusual take on a number of current issues."[13] Douglas Davidson at Elements of Madness called it "an entertaining farce that would’ve felt so far from the truth if not for recent history cementing otherwise," scoring it 3.5 out of 5.[19] Stuart Monroe at Get On My Damn Level said the film is 3.5 out of 5 and "one mean mother of an absurdly surrealistic fairy tale."[24] Charlotte Spark at Morbidly Beautiful gave the film 3.5 out of 5, comparing it to Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, stating "it didn't fully resonate," but had "strong performances and quite a few laughs."[23] Sean Parker at 25YL drew comparisons to the Coen brothers and Shakespeare.[21]
I think it's more than just profanity that unsettles – it's the themes discussed, the pictures painted with the words. A worldview expressed that is truly despicable.
A review at Film Blitz scored it a B– calling it a "malevolent atrocity," comparing it to Tootsie and Monty Python's Flying Circus.[18] Eddie Harrison at film-authority scored it 3 out of 5 and said it is a gore film that is "a biting, scabrous, no-holds barred satire."[6] Norman Gidney at HorrorBuzz scored it 6 out of 10, calling it a "campy little indie nugget of joy."[25] Brian Fanelli at 1428 Elm said it has "heart, grit, laughs, and bloodshed" and is "for those who like something truly strange and unusual."[15] Celia Payne at Let's Talk Terror said "It's like watching a reality show where they all get to murder each other."[30]
Some critics who did not like the film still gave praise to the performances of Weinberger and Butler.[31][17][32] Clotilde Chinnici at Loud and Clear Reviews gave the film 2.5 out of 5, claiming it had "tense atmosphere" but that it "could have landed a lot better if its characters had been explored more."[31] Tim Brennan at About Boulder compared Butler's writing of dialogue to Quentin Tarantino and Diablo Cody, but said he disliked the similarities between the characters' wry personalities.[17] The Independent Critic scored it 2 out of 4 and said it is "for those who appreciate the ballsier side of indie cinema."[32] Ryan Devir at Film Threat said it had "solid gore and impressive kills," but criticized the characters, dialogue and humor, scoring it 3.5 out of 10.[16] Roger Moore at Movie Nation scored it 1 out of 4, stating it has "cultish comedy with a few laughs, undercooked politics and undigested zombie victims."[33]
This page is based on this Wikipedia article Text is available under the CC BY-SA 4.0 license; additional terms may apply. Images, videos and audio are available under their respective licenses.
