Director – Robyn August (Cupcake, Doggy See Evil)
Starring – M.C. Huff (Murder Made Me Famous, Poker Nights), Emily Hall (Scariest Night of Your Life, The Last Inn), and Jenna Z (Shook, Generation)
Release Date – 2022
Rating – 2.5/5
I get asked to review a wide range of films from backyard no budget productions with dollar store costumes and ketchup to multi million dollar films that oddly seem to lack the heart and passion the backyard films do. I love my job and the opportunity it provides me to review new and unreleased films. I never know what will pass through my email on a daily basis but sometimes something comes through that just grabs my attention.
A few days back I received the press release for the horror comedy Killher. I was really digging the film’s poster and decided to reach out to see if it was available. A few days later the director emailed me with a screener link. I figured this one would be perfect for my month long October horror binge.
**Spoiler alert** The film follows a bachelorette party that decides to go campy. The young bride to be invites her three friends with one of them being a bit of an odd ball among the group. She planned the entire trip which has caused some tension between herself and the other two friends. What they don’t know is that she was secretly sleeping with the groom and when he tried to break it off she killed him. Now she is planning on snuffing out the other three while they are deep in the woods. **Spoiler Alert**
Killher is a film that struggles with it’s own identity during the first half or so before finally coming into it’s own. The ending almost pulled the film out of the negative but the unlikable characters and predictable story made for a rather lackluster experience.
The acting in this one is fairly well done but the characters are extremely unlikable. The cast has a lot of energy and really give it their all but their personalities make for awkward scenes and most of the movie I was hoping I was going to watch them die. The cast did the best they could but these characters were just so obnoxious and unlikable that it made most of the film difficult to watch.
The story for this one makes you think you are going to be watching an American camping version of Wolf Creek with the deceiving poster and the initial set up of the story. However, after a few minutes of getting to know the characters you can quickly see where this is going. I didn’t mind the route the film took but I would have liked some down to Earth characters that didn’t tap dance on your nerves. If you are able to stick with it through the awkward scenes and predictable first half then you will find something enjoyable. It may not be enough to make the first hour or so worth it but it was entertaining nonetheless.
Finally, the film has several bloody deaths with some solid practical effects but the deaths you want to see never happen. The practical effects really make these scenes enjoyable but I was really looking forward to watching others die. Overall, Killher has an interesting idea but the film gives too much at the beginning which takes away from the killer’s reveal. The last leg of the film is fun but it is a bit of a journey to get there. I wanted to love it but it wasn’t for me.
