This past March I ventured out to an indie horror film set in New Jersey to report for Horror Society. It had snowed only two days ago and the temperature outside was probably near the low 20s. It was cold! But that didn’t stop the team that produced Cuddlez from postponing their shoot. I couldn’t help but notice a lot of heart and dedication pouring into the project, but for a first time director with limited resources, does that mean success is possible? Read my review to find out!
Cuddlez is written, produced and directed by Bryan Enright with cinematographer Joe DeFeo. Cast members include Lauren Deleon, Victoria Enright, Harrison Webb, Shane Kryzwicki, William Covert, Bowman Bowman, Randy Memoli, Meghan Mihalchick and Mike Marino as Cuddlez.
In the tradition of classic slasher flicks from the late 80s and early 90s, Cuddlez tells the story of a small group of friends who head out to a party on an old, creepy farm. Just as the party is starting to get good, a killer wearing a bear mask and wielding a samurai sword shows up and starts slicing and slashing his way through the drunk guests before he seeks out his targets and chases them through the streets of a quiet town in New Jersey. Who’s going to cuddle you when you’re dead?
Honestly, and with great respect, Cuddlez turned out a hundred percent better than I thought it was going to. I am highly impressed by the efforts of Bryan Enright, Joe DeFeo and the entire team. Of course, a lot of details were not divulged to me at the time of my set visit, but it’s not the director’s job to tell me everything. Really, what it impressed me the most was the quality of the picture. Often times when filmmakers starting out in their career say their project is “inspired by 70s, 80s, 90s horror films,” it’s an excuse as to why their product looks like shit. With Cuddlez, though, it truly reads like a lost slasher flick from the 80s that is on par with the quality of that time. Excellent lighting, especially for the exterior night shots – which can be difficult! No fishbowl audio, the term I use to describe audio that is echoey for no reason. Sleek editing in such a short amount of time and an original soundtrack that just fits the overall theme of the movie.
All of the cast members pulled in decent to above average performances which is also impressive given the fact that almost of all of them are first time actors. Mike Marino is an unstoppable killing force as Cuddlez and he pulls off the psychotic role well with his mannerisms and movements. Randy Memoli, the only seasoned actor in the group, gave another top rate performance to the horror community. My favorite character, though, was a tiny bit part played by Victoria Stevens. When Cuddlez busts down the door to the party, her character – Screaming Girl -lets out a blood curdling shriek that is one Hell of a good shriek, one that every good horror film needs! Fantastic job, Victoria! I’d also like to give mention to Harrison Web and Victoria Enright for rounding out a really strong cast. Should Cuddlez ever transform from a short film to a feature, which is ultimately the goal here, I hope some of the original cast return.
When it comes to giving constructive criticism, there’s not a lot for me to go on because this was a well done 11 minute short film. I did catch a glaring mistake during the end credits, but it’s passable because no one usually pays attention to that anyway. I saw, what I presume to be, CGI added gore effects in Cuddlez and I think that should be avoided at all costs. Doing an old school inspired horror film with CGI is counterproductive. Also, a little more time spent developing the characters and the script would be helpful. I know Cuddlez is a short film, but I don’t feel like I got to know any of the characters that well. What is Cuddlez motive? What is his story? All and all, these aren’t enjoyment subtracting qualities thus they do not diminish the overall appeal to this title.
As a directorial debut, Cuddlez is pretty solid. It succeeds in every category as a film inspired by legends like John Carpenter and Wes Craven. It’s a true homage to old school slashers that is done the right way. A mysterious villain, a talented cast and excellent cinematography, I can’t wait until Cuddlez hits the film festival circuit so everyone has a chance to see it. I’m sure you’ll want to cuddle up to the new, original slasher once you do! Final Score: 7 out of 10
