FRANK opens with a character by the name of Ruby Chase. As an act of desperation, Ruby strikes a deal with a demon-like monster she encounters on the run. She makes a vow of servitude to this horrendous creature referred to as FRANK. In an effort to break her vow, Ruby later attempts to commit suicide, setting FRANK on a mission to hurt the people Ruby loved the most. FRANK is an independent horror movie written and directed by Krsy Fox. When I did some research on the movie, I was shocked to learn that this was Krsy's full length feature film debut. Which is quite remarkable given how great this movie is. Krsy also has a few short films under her belt, but I have yet to watch any of them, so going into FRANK I was not at all familiar with her work. However I did look into Bleeders DIEgest, and if you've ever listened to that show, you know that Krsy is a Jill of all trades. She also plays the role of Ruby Chase, whose character arc is what sets off the rest of the film.
FRANK is (sort of) a revenge story split into five different chapters. It's presented like an anthology horror film. Which it kind of is? Each chapter features different characters with one singular monster. It feels more like a series of short films connected to the story of Ruby and Frank. The first thing that stood out to me was how great the movie looked. For a low budget film, FRANK looks and feel like a top shelf release. The film is split into five different chapters. Each with a different feel and style of camera work. My favorite chapter in the movie takes place in one room. One singular location, and it's masterfully paced and scary. No joke, this segment scared the crap out of me. Once this particular chapter was over, I was completely hooked. FRANK is wonderfully edited and features an incredible cast of actors. Each chapter offers something different, and every character has their own unique journey.
I get that self harm is a sensitive subject for some people, but thankfully FRANK touches on suicide in a way that's not offensive or heavy on emotion. It's a key element to the plot that has an affect on every single person in the movie. To balance out the horror, the film offers comfort in the form of humor. The comedic dialogue works very well, and it makes the viewing experience much more fun. I will admit I was not a fan of the fourth chapter. I did enjoy the characters and the story they were telling, I just felt that it was a bit long compared to the others. The segment has a very flashy ending, which is different from all the others. The fourth segment just didn't work for me personally. I did enjoy the performance by Azure Parsons. When she appeared on-screen, I took a pause and looked her up online, because she looked so familiar to me. And I get why now: Azure played the role of Gloriana on the tv show SALEM. If you've never watched it, do check out SALEM. That was a really good show.
My favorite character in the movie FRANK is Mistress Eden, who is played by the always terrific Bonnie Aarons (THE NUN). Bonnie is absolutely phenomenal in this movie, giving one of the best performances I've seen in a very long time. And then there's the real star of the film: the monster referred to as Frank. I was genuinely surprised as to how quickly we were able to see the monster. And boy does Frank look scary, and practical! I could be wrong, but it looked to me like the the movie used mostly practical fx. There's even some neat camera and lighting tricks that would make Dario Argento proud.
You may have noticed from one of the trailers, but at one point the monster Frank does talk. And the voice behind the monster just may surprise you. The fifth and final segment in the movie is fantastic. There's some flashbacks and a big reveal that had me on the edge of my seat. Not to give anything away, but I would love to see a sequel to FRANK. I can easily picture a series of movies taking place in this timeline. A "cinematic universe" if you will. I enjoyed the movie FRANK very much. It goes to show you that you don't need a large budget to make a great movie. It's inexpensive to tell a good story, and as long as you write good believable characters, I'm sold. FRANK was the perfect Halloween watch. I enjoyed the movie so much that I've been recommending it to some of my friends. I encourage all of watching this video to at least give it a chance. It's worth the price of admission, but if you're still a little on a fence, you do have the option to rent it.
At the end of the day, FRANK is a fun low-budget monster movie. I had a great time with it, and I think you will too. It'll make you laugh, and potentially give you nightmares. I give the movie FRANK 8/10 vengeful monsters.
