The Horror Show
Homewrecker
by Zach Gayne
Horror movies that infuse their stories with humor are such a treat. If it's done right, it can bring a lot of laughs with the tension, breaking it up and making the scare a bit more shocking. Homewrecker nails it.
This film is like a mix of Single White Female, any random Rom-Com, with a sprinkle of John Waters’ later works, blended with a whole bunch of WTF. You frost that with some odd nostalgia and you got yourself a cake.
Linda (Precious Chong) is a woman in her late 40s. Her life is filled with countless classes like yoga, dance, ballet, and numerous others. It's in these classes she meets Michelle (Alex Essoe). Michelle is in her early 30s, an interior designer, newly married, and trying to start a family. While sitting at a coffee shop doing some work, Linda appears and recognizes Michelle from the few classes they have together. Linda then forces herself into Michelle's day. She asks if Michelle could help her fix up her home. Reluctantly, she agrees to go with Linda to her house. Michelle has made a huge mistake and it won't take long before she realizes that she is in a lot of danger.
At first, Michelle just sees Linda as a sad, lonely woman. Linda has no friends; she mentions a boyfriend, but only briefly. She’s stuck in her past, reliving all of the things she did as a kid. Michelle goes along at first and then she tries to leave, but Linda doesn’t like that. Linda needs for her to stay so she makes sure that Michelle isn't going anywhere.
I got so wrapped up in the comedy aspects of this crazy woman that I didn't see the twist coming at all. How could I when she does an entire “music video” of Lisa Loeb's Stay, complete with singing badly into her bejeweled vibrator. When the horror comes back you are jolted out of the happy real fast.
Like I said, this film is full of some quirky humor that bleeds over into the horror. It's a good balance. The writing is hilarious. Sometimes you feel sorry for Linda and other times you really want her to spontaneously combust. The cringe from this character is so good it's painful. At one point, I had to get up and walk outside because it was too much! It hurt but it was a satisfying hurt.
HMS received a screener of this film in exchange for review. I'm glad I volunteered to review this one. I might need it on Blu-ray! It's a gift. A bloody, 80s soaked, gift.
Robin Thompson, HMS
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