Adam R. Steigert is back with his latest feature film following the successes of Ombis: Alien Invasion, A Grim Becoming and Space Traveling Alien Reject. If I’m going to be honest, though, Fang is the best piece of work he’s completed so far. Not only does it look great, but it also firmly wedges itself in the horror genre by bringing back old-school monsters and ghouls, while also making them modern and appealing to a wide audience. A collaboration between 388 Studios, Deftone Picture Studios and Macrocosm Productions, Fang is an ever evolving story that follows two junkies – Chloe and Joe – after a robbery gone wrong results in a murder by their own hands. With no where to go and no drugs in their pockets, the duo head to a distance relative’s house to wait out the whole debacle. Once inside the old mansion, they realize things have gone from bad to worse. Following a grizzly dinner party, Chloe and Joe find themselves running from the law… and creatures out of their darkest nightmares. Based on the screenplay by Adam R. Steigert and Kristin Steigert, Fang stars Melantha Blackthorne, Gregory Blair, Melodie Roehrig, Theo Kemp, Jennie Russo, Jason John Beebe, Patrick Mallette and Michael O’Hear.
Produced by Christopher Burns Jr., Patrick Mallette, Dale Shero, Keith Lukowski, Norman Queeno, Jennifer Zsiros and Michael Zsiros, Fang is oddly reminiscent of Scary Movie 2. Although, it’s much more serious and bloodthirsty! What both films did, and only Fang accomplished, was capture the essence of Old Hollywood Monsters and the atmosphere of Hammer Films from the 50’s and 60’s. It’s a simple formula, really. A stunning cast, a fun script, an old house, and tradition horror elements all culminated into a bizarre, gory werewolf movie turned revenge thriller. I thought I was going to lose interest because I couldn’t root for a pair of crackheads, but the script was so entertaining that I found myself paying attention the whole way through. Fang truly spoke to the old-school horror horror lover in me thanks to the combination of the two big H’s in horror: Hammer and Hitchcock. Surely, Fang has a tremendous amount of mystique, mystery and suspense that will reel in fans of good ol’ Alfred. It’s nice to see this style of film-making still alive in 2018.
And, really, this is why you should never visit your in-laws and distant relatives. You might find yourself trapped in a big old house, being tortured, brutalized and eaten by the very people you so desperately wanted to avoid. Also, drugs are bad, kids. I don’t want to keep using this word because repetition is obnoxious, but the best way that I can describe Fang is fun. My only complaints are wanting some of the cast members to be switched around and the musical scores needing a little beef-up in some scenes. Director Adam R. Steigert knew what he wanted. He set out and he made it happen, and his efforts certainly payed off. An effortless cross-generational horror flick that’s bloody, frightening and truly out there in all the right places. It expertly bridges the gap between horror, science fiction, action and comedy without losing focus, and it does it with a killer cast and an awesome camera man. Fang is due for release this October, and if you’re an independent film fan, this is the perfect movie to add to your Halloween wish-list!
Final Score: 8 out of 10
