Bingo Hell

Very entertaining and well done despite its tonal problems, Bingo Hell is a strangely wonderful little horror gem that isn't afraid to do whatever the hell it wants. I weirdly found myself quite happy with how this film turned out, it wasn't as B-ovie as I expected it to be, in fact it had some surprisingly deeper moments. Tonally this film is all. It can be a bit sentimental at times, a bit goofy, a bit dramatic, and just plain absurd and creepy. It's a mess of tones and it shows that the writers truly didn't know where to go with the story at hand, but it does manage to grab you ever step of the wa and always keep your attention. The acting is quite good surprisingly with Adriana Barraza as the obvious standout, and some other good supporting performances from L. Scott Caldwell and the infamous Richard Brake. The cinematography is an interesting blend of old and new, and the music choices are absolutely excellent. It can be a bit ridiculous at times, as well as tonally frustrating, but in the end this weird bingo horror flick did manage to surprise me and prove to be enjoyable all the way through. It's by no means a great film, or even a good one, but it does manage to be a fun ride.

My Rating: 5.1/10.

But it just never got here. It caught my interest from the start. The opening was bouncy, with intrigue. Then it opened up too many paths to follow. Then it got soapy and peachy.

Nothing worked after that.

A heartfelt horror/comedy with a great balance of gruesomeness and character connection. The residents of a small, impoverished, American town are struggling to remember who they once were in a community who has forgotten its true identity. Seduced by a nefarious newcomer, this Faustian story will test the moral fibre of this tribe presenting them with a fight for the very soul of their town.

This struck a note of sincerity based on the authenticity of the well developed characters and the exploration of the every day problems of the real people in America. This has all the ingredients to be a cult horror B-grade classic. A simple yet effectively executed message about people being tested and self-discovery in a light hearted comedy/horror context. Fun yet significant.

Bad acting bad plot bad pacing bad editing bad movie.

No offense to any of the actors in this (mostly at least decent performances), but Richard Brake takes the cake. And if a movie is only as good as its villain ... well this should be way better rated by me I reckon.

That aside (and I have no idea if there is a novel/book this is based on), the movie works on a certain level even if it does seem to be stuck in first gear for most of the running time. So yes there are pacing issues and the social commentary may be hammered home too much ... still you can have some fun with this ... certainly with Richard Brake ... did I mention how great he is in this? Well he is an awesome actor so there is that ...