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Reeker (2005)
Something Stinks…
Directed By: Dave Payne
Starring: Devon Gummersall, Derek Richardson, & Tina Illman
MPAA Rating: “R” (Not Rated)
Starring: Devon Gummersall, Derek Richardson, & Tina Illman
MPAA Rating: “R” (Not Rated)
Reeker has a rather compelling thought behind all of its violence and dumb characters. What could have been an intriguing psychological thriller, unfortunately, quickly divulges into just another slasher flick with a decidedly unconvincing slasher. This killer, which strangely smells horribly bad, has no boundaries and no real identity. One might say that this is necessary in order to make the twist ending convincing, but I say that it is just bad writing. This slasher can teleport, carry an arsenal of weapons with ease, and hide in the toilet of an outhouse. Because of this, there is no sense of chase or an ability to escape; in an instant, the slasher, which was just miles away, can be right beside a potential victim, leaving them incapable of escape. This may make the situation seem more desperate for the characters, but it is hardly fun to watch.
Five friends, including the blind Jack (Gummersall) and the tough-talking Gretchen (Illman), find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere when their car breaks down. They find themselves at a local diner with no working television, radio, or cell phone. They also stumble upon the strange Henry (Michael Ironside) who is desperately searching for his wife who went missing during one of his many black-outs. Suddenly, a ghostly specter begins killing all of the friends off one-by-one. As people around them die in horrifically gruesome ways, Jack and Gretchen decide that they must work together in order to escape similar fates. Little do they know, this specter is not just any regular killer; it is death itself and escaping it may prove to be the most terrifying nightmare ever. Or something like that, I guess...
Reeker is one of the many films that was built around its twist; in fact, it is almost as if we are merely watching the twist ending play out in a rather lengthy way. Fortunately, I enjoyed the ending and I felt that it was quite appropriate. The various clues that were left along the way (that seemed completely irrelevant at the time) became interesting tools to show that the ending was not just tacked on right at the end...well, those and the fact that the killer, the setting, and the deaths are all based on the twist, as well. Everything...yes, everything...is all about this twist. In reality, it is a rather surprising twist, one that perhaps would not have worked had it not been handled so well. Unfortunately, the other aspects of the film are not handled nearly as well. The slasher aspects are thoroughly uninspired and dull.
When Reeker ended, I couldn’t help but feel let down and yet not really surprised. Having heard a fairly positive response from other genre fans, I went into it wanting to see a really a great slasher flick and yet not expecting one. What I got was something in between what I wanted and what I expected. It certainly is an original look at the slasher genre and its ending is thought-provoking and fun, but the stalk-and-kill sequences are not interesting at all despite the fact that the potential is always there (i.e. the toilet sequence...what happened?). However, I still enjoyed Reeker as a somewhat cheesy, but entertaining piece of horror garbage. Pauline Kael once said, “The movies are so rarely great art, that if we cannot appreciate great trash, we should not go at all.” It may not be great, but Reeker certainly is good trash.
Five friends, including the blind Jack (Gummersall) and the tough-talking Gretchen (Illman), find themselves stranded in the middle of nowhere when their car breaks down. They find themselves at a local diner with no working television, radio, or cell phone. They also stumble upon the strange Henry (Michael Ironside) who is desperately searching for his wife who went missing during one of his many black-outs. Suddenly, a ghostly specter begins killing all of the friends off one-by-one. As people around them die in horrifically gruesome ways, Jack and Gretchen decide that they must work together in order to escape similar fates. Little do they know, this specter is not just any regular killer; it is death itself and escaping it may prove to be the most terrifying nightmare ever. Or something like that, I guess...
Reeker is one of the many films that was built around its twist; in fact, it is almost as if we are merely watching the twist ending play out in a rather lengthy way. Fortunately, I enjoyed the ending and I felt that it was quite appropriate. The various clues that were left along the way (that seemed completely irrelevant at the time) became interesting tools to show that the ending was not just tacked on right at the end...well, those and the fact that the killer, the setting, and the deaths are all based on the twist, as well. Everything...yes, everything...is all about this twist. In reality, it is a rather surprising twist, one that perhaps would not have worked had it not been handled so well. Unfortunately, the other aspects of the film are not handled nearly as well. The slasher aspects are thoroughly uninspired and dull.
When Reeker ended, I couldn’t help but feel let down and yet not really surprised. Having heard a fairly positive response from other genre fans, I went into it wanting to see a really a great slasher flick and yet not expecting one. What I got was something in between what I wanted and what I expected. It certainly is an original look at the slasher genre and its ending is thought-provoking and fun, but the stalk-and-kill sequences are not interesting at all despite the fact that the potential is always there (i.e. the toilet sequence...what happened?). However, I still enjoyed Reeker as a somewhat cheesy, but entertaining piece of horror garbage. Pauline Kael once said, “The movies are so rarely great art, that if we cannot appreciate great trash, we should not go at all.” It may not be great, but Reeker certainly is good trash.
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