universzero’s review published on Letterboxd:
Slightly Hidden Horror Gems #108
As far as I'm concerned, Joe Begos can do no wrong. Bliss, VFW, and now this—I'm not aware of another director who so consistently bottles chaos. Every single film catches exactly the vibe I want for a night out with drunken arts friends and a massive quantity of psychedelics. Well, minus the killings.
For a moment, I wondered if Begos had gone calm on me, because the film starts calm. We hang out with friends. It's nice, I can feel like I'm with my old friends while not leaving bed at 5 AM.
All of this changes suddenly, and I will not tell you how or why, but there is a moment where some glass breaks and the music goes straight Gobelin Argento vibes and suddenly we are deep in a nightmare. From then on, it is basically nonstop awesome rampage, and that is what I wanted, and it's what I got. This villain, by the way, is formidable to an almost comic degree.
I wish there was more film like his, I would watch all of it. This is the opposite of the film I just reviewed, "The Stylist". That had a ton of horror and almost no violence. This has massive violence and feels way less horrifying. It is meant to be a great time, and it is.
Entirely recommended. What a great director. I will be watching this every Christmas forever. Fuck me this was fun.
