Slasher films have taken a backseat to found footage ghost stories and zombie apocalypse thrillers in recent years, so much so that I can’t seem to remember when a truly categorized flick of that nature was released. That’s why I’ve been anxiously awaiting the debut of Most Likely to Die. Styled as a throwback to the 1980’s slasher genre, Most Likely to Die has received a lot of publicity over the last year and a half; mostly due to the fact that gossip blogger Perez Hilton, the film’s biggest publicizer, stars in the movie which recently hit all VOD outlets. As with all long awaited movies, the question quickly becomes – will it end up being worth the wait, worth the anticipation? Last night I streamed Most Likely to Die on Amazon Instant Video and here’s my review having watched it in full.
Most Likely to Die is written by Laura Brennan and directed by Anthony DiBlasi, most known for Cassadaga and Last Shift. Sharon Bordas and Fernando Szew served as executive producers. Cast members include Heather Morris (“Glee,” Spring Breakers), Ryan Doom (“Raising Hope,” The Roommate), Chad Addison (“NCIS: New Orleans”), Perez Hilton, Johnny Ramey (“The Hustle”), Tess Christiansen, Jason Tobias (“Days of Our Lives,” Terrordactyl), Marci Miller, Tatum Miranda (“MANswers”), Jake Busey (“From Dusk Til Dawn: The Series”) and Skyler Vallo (“True Blood”).
Most Likely to Die follows a large group of friends and former high school classmates who gather for a pre-high school reunion party at one of their mansions in the remote hills of California. On the eve of the big day ten years in the making, a killer wearing their graduation uniform starts butchering the friends in the manner befitting each of their senior yearbook superlatives. This makes the killings anything but a sadistic coincidence, and now they must fight for their lives against secrets from the past and the very real danger of the present. Now it’s going to be one Hell of a killer reunion!
Since I mentioned that Most Likely to Die was created as an homage to 1980’s slashers, let me start by examining that point of reference. The general synopsis of “a group of friends unite for their high school reunion” already beckons my mind back to films like Graduation Day (1981), Prom Night (1980) and Slaughter High (1986). So this film succeeds in that endeavor by hearkening you back to a better time in the world of horror, but does it feel like an 80’s slasher flick? The answer is… yes and no. Obviously the production quality here is way better due to advances in technology, but there’s a lot of give and take to be found. There’s an opening pre-credits kill scene, a chase scene, a couple good screams, a couple good kill shots and the “who done it” mystery and, hey, that was enough to keep me interested; though I suspect diehard horror fans are going to be looking for more than that. I can already visualize the comments of “there aren’t any good modern slasher movies post Scream,” but to that I say just shut up and enjoy the ride. DiBlasi has pulled off one of the better slashers of the last few years with Most Likely to Die.
Speaking of quality, it’s true that Most Likely to Die is of a much higher caliber than most of the independent films out there right now, but I can see why it didn’t hit theaters despite quite the reputable cast. There’s just something a little off about the quality that makes it just under the standard movie theater picture experience, not that it’s of poor quality, just that it’s recognizably not produced by big Hollywood. Some of the things I didn’t like include repeated shots of foggy mountaintops even though it’s sunny out, no one finding it a bit odd that one of their friend’s year book picture is hung on the wall with a big red X over it, none of them are upset when they find the second body, and I think that most of the final three could have been swapped out for more invigorating and interesting characters. My biggest concern, which I think others will voice as well, is the lack of action and suspense at the expense of developing characters and exposing some of their backstories. One of my notes literally reads, “too much talky, not enough killy.” Character development is good, especially in the world of horror, but too much can kill the mood.
Still, I thoroughly enjoyed this movie. I enjoyed that the killer’s motive was woven around high school bullying, a theme that is still very much present in our current society. I enjoyed the location they used, the mansion with so many doorways and a hot tub. I really enjoyed one of the kills, which I’ll call the “vocal death,” and I really enjoyed one of the good screams from an actress during her kill sequence. It was a scream that was truly reminiscent of the 1980’s, a true scream queen’s scream! And, let me not forget to mention a surprise ending. While writing this review, I found that I enjoyed Most Likely to Die more than I thought I did. I think it will grow on you, too, if you give it a chance. It’s the best slasher film of 2016 so far. Final Score: 7.5 out of 10.
