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Reunion from Hell
The Return
USA 2021
produced by Hayden Newman, Sam Hodge, Johnna Vaughn, Adam Freeman, James Stokes, Tony DeBenedetto (executive), Babara K. Hornak (executive), Keith Miller (executive), Cody Alan Perkins (executive) for CineSavage Films
directed by Hayden Newman, Sam Hodge (co)
starring Cathy Podewell, Hayden Newman, Johnna Vaughn, Jeremiah Lee Steinert, Jessa Flux, Cody Alexander, Stephen McGill, Jace Martin Chambers, Adam Freeman, James Stokes, Orlando Rodriguez, Blake Holsworth, Sam Hodge (voice), Deryk Wehrley
written by Hayden Newman, Jake Zelch, music by Sam Hodge, special makeup and effects by Deryk Wehrley
review by Mike Haberfelner
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Riley (Hayden Newman) has long left his hometown for the big city when
a friend of his, Reese (Adam Freeman), is brutally murdered, which urges
Riley to return for the wake. The wake starts out as a nice reunion, with
many of Riley's friends from back when showing up, including his ex Chris
(Cody Alexander), who has since become a cop and still has feelings for
Riley. However, soon old tensions boil up again, and the meeting doesn't
end super-happily - and the next morning, one of Riley's friends, Jen
(Johnna Vaughn), is found dead, killed, and a message written in her blood
suggests Riley's return has to do with it. Because of that, Riley's
considered one of the key witnesses and isn't allowed to leave town, and
it also puts him on a guilt trip, so he and his friends try to figure out
what's going on, something that's somewhat derailed when Riley and another
old friend, Kyle (Stephen McGill) discover their feelings for one another
while their friends Paige (Jessa Flux) and Gage - Reese's brother (and
therefore also played by Adam Freeman) no less - are murdered by a masked
killer. And the killer has also tied up Riley's mother (Cathy Podewell)
and brother (Jeremiah Lee Steinert) and left them helpless on their
house's porch, just to lure Riley into the open - it's a trap of course,
but has Riley any other chance but to fall for it?
Now of course, at its heart, Reunion from Hell is a
slasher with all the genre's key elements, from bloody killings to red
herrings, in all the right places, but the film is really more than just
that as it doesn't solely relie on suspense, scare tactics and violence
but paints a rich backstory that's ultimately essential to the resolution
of the film, while the characters are more than just cannon fodder but
rouned out in an warts-and-all way, with a solid cast bringing them to
life rather nicely. And all of this adds up to an interesting mystery as
well as a fun genre ride.
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review © by Mike Haberfelner
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Robots and rats,
demons and potholes, cuddly toys and shopping mall Santas,
love and death and everything in between,
Tales to Chill Your Bones to is all of that.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to -
a collection of short stories and mini-plays ranging from the horrific to the darkly humourous,
from the post-apocalyptic to the weirdly romantic,
tales that will give you a chill and maybe a chuckle,
all thought up by the twisted mind of screenwriter and film reviewer Michael Haberfelner.
Tales to Chill Your Bones to
the new anthology by Michael Haberfelner
Out now from Amazon!!! |
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