Review: Vicious Fun

Director: Cody Calahan

Screenplay: Cody Calahan and James Villeneuveheavy

Year: 2021

After a night of drinking, a horror film critic falls asleep in a bar closet. When he wakes up and tries to leave the place, he finds that a serial killer therapy meeting is taking place there. The young man has no choice but to try to pass himself off as a murderer, but he may become his next victim if his sham is discovered.

As I started watching “Vicious Fun” I couldn't help but sigh, accompanied by the thought of 'another modern horror movie based on the ‘80s’ when its title and soundtrack filled my screen and speakers. It should be noted that at this point, I had no idea what this film was about, and my only criteria for viewing it was that it was a new addition to the Shudder catalog. Luckily, the opening scene is intriguing enough to keep you hooked.

I am usually very critical of horror comedies since many of them only look for the easy and cheap humor, which generally does not work with more demanding fans, as in my case. However, the script by Cody Calahan ("Antisocial") and James Villeneuve, the former who also serves as a director, meets all the requirements, and in just a few minutes, he broke down all my barriers. I must admit that it also helps that the protagonist is a horror film critic, which I can clearly identify with.

As soon as we start to see the characters unfolding it is evident that each actor knows what he has in his hands and how to make the best of it. Evan Marsh (“Shazam!”), Amber Goldfarb (“Appiness”), and Ari Millen (“The Oak Room”) are the stars of the film, and they deliver excellent performances, but the rest of the cast does a phenomenal job as well. The cast is not short of familiar faces, including names like David Koechner ("Krampus”, "The Office"), Robert Maillet ("Becky"), and Julian Richings ("Anything for Jackson").

With a premise like a support group for assassins as a fundamental part of its plot, high expectations are set for a good amount of gore, and "Vicious Fun" more than delivers. The practical effects are excellent and serve both to evoke disgust as well as to support the comedy. Once the action begins, it maintains the intensity, accompanied by the comedic tone, until the end and, on the way, offers deaths and memorable gory moments.

"Vicious Fun" couldn't have had a better name to describe it. An engaging plot loaded with gore, tension, and comedy, along with fun characters, great special effects, and a great soundtrack. One of the funniest horror comedies I've seen so far this year and probably last year.