A love-letter to/comedy send-up of slasher films of the 1980s, Cody Calahan’s Vicious Fun covers similar ground to classic meta-horror films like Cabin in the Woods and Scream, tipping its hat toward the genre’s tropes and conventions in a charming manner, although without offering much in the way that’s new to the formula of self-aware genre filmmaking.
Evan Marsh plays Joel, a nerdy horror fan and wannabe ‘magazine writer’, who accidently stumbles into a meeting of serial killers whilst jealously trailing his roommate’s date and his perceived competition, Bob. Prone to awkward interactions and misfire jokes, Joel initially tries to pass himself off as another serial killer, but when group leader Zachary, played by familiar comedy actor David Koechner (Anchorman, The Office), starts to smell a rat, the after-hours neon-lit bar which serves as the meeting’s venue quickly descends into bloodshed and anarchy.
There’s a strange blend of performances and styles in Vicious Fun, with Marsh’s almost cartoonish Joel standing in contrast to Amber Goldfarb’s fellow interloper Carrie, a serious woman with a mission to complete and an axe to grind (quite literally). This assortment of character types and performances often results in elements of the film clashing together rather than complimenting one another. At the same time, however, the film’s hodgepodge assortment of horror villain archetypes which range from the Patrick Bateman-esque sociopath and show-stealing Bob (Ari Millen) to the imposing giant Mike (Robert Maillet) – a clear nod to the likes of Jason Voorhees – highlight’s Calahan’s broad range of influences and genre touchstones.
Combined with some gruesome practical effects and a nostalgic 80s-influenced synth score, however, there’s enough to enjoy here to warrant the casual horror fan’s attention – just don’t go expecting anything as ground-breaking as the film’s aforementioned thematic predecessors.
Notes from the Multiplex 