Plank Face (Review)

Director – Scott Schirmer (Found, The Bad Man)
Starring – Nathan Barrett (The Flash, Supernatural), Brigid Macaulay (Headless, Psycho Street), Alyss Winkler (Space Babes from Outer Space, Slaughterhouse Slumber Party)
Release Date – 2016
Rating – 3/5

Tagline – “Freedom is wild”

I collect movies. I’ve done so for well over 25 years. I was a kid when I started my movie collection when I would grab random movies at Walmart, K-Mart, and other places. I would grab random movies like Air Bud, Space Jam, Conan the Barbarian, Jason Goes to Hell, and so on. When Goosebumps was being released on VHS my focus from movies to horror began and soon I was all over horror VHS.

I pretty much collect all horror and over the years I’ve collected several movies from Scott Schirmer, Brian Williams, and Ellie Church but I never got around to watching them. That changed recently when I decided to take the time to work through some of my collection. After watching Harvest Lake I decided to toss in another 2016 horror flick. This time Plank Face was up and I have to say that I enjoyed it a little more than I did Harvest Lake.

**Spoiler Alert**The film follows Max (Barrett) and his girlfriend Stacey (Ellie Church) who are camping in the woods when Stacey is attacked and raped by a man. Max is knocked unconscious and awakens in a cabin hidden deep in the woods. The cabin is home to an older man that is dying, his wife, and two younger women. He is chained and one of his feet is nailed to the floor to prevent him from escaping. He is force fed the old man’s testicles when he dies and is forced to have sex with the two young women. The three try to break him down to make him one of their own and over time they succeed. They test his dedication to his new family by bringing him Stacey and an ax. He must choose between them or his beloved.**Spoiler Alert**

Plank Face is a bit of a slow moving horror drama that I actually enjoyed. I wasn’t sure I was going to like it but this one was actually very entertaining and I can see myself giving this one another spin in the distant future.

The acting in this one is fucking great. The roles are very demanding and the cast absolutely delivered with their performances. Nathan Barrett was fantastic as Max/Plank Face. His character has to undergo so many changes emotionally that his role had to be draining but he does a fantastic job. The supporting cast is fantastic as well. Brigid Macaulay and Alyss Winkler also have very demanding roles and they killed it. This is the first film that I have seen of Alyss Winkler and I have to say that I am becoming a fan. These two young ladies had to bring feral characters to life while presenting themselves in a sexual manner at times. They both did fantastic jobs and their scenes were highly entertaining.

The story for this one is not a slasher like the name suggests. Most horror fans would hear the name Plank Face and see the artwork where the lead is wearing a mask and assume it was a slasher. Plank Face is anything but a slasher. At least 90% of the film flows like a dark drama where Max is broken down until he submits to the family. The scenes are rather drawn out and slow but you are fascinated by where the story is going so you don’t mind the slow pacing. The brutal sex scenes and the gruesome deaths are entertaining but the real focus is how Max adapts to his new life and what he would do if presented with a chance to leave.

Finally, does not shy away from blood but the film does not focus much on the carnage itself. The effects we do get are great but they are easily forgettable especially when the viewer starts focusing more on what is going on in the scene and not just the blood. Overall, Plank Face was not the film I was expecting but god damn was it fun. If you have not checked this one out then I highly suggest you do so.