Bystanders

The Make-A-Wish Ethan Hawke was mildly entertaining but holy moly, the rest of this is pure slop. The female director surely just casted her obese besties for these roles, because they surely aren't actual actors. There's a reason you generally don't cast ugly, physically incapable people for sympathetic/protagonist/hero roles. It's not 'realistic'. It's not 'empowering'. It's a farce.

I watched this film because I know Deaton Gabbard. I have a few things to say, and I will be as unbiased as possible. One is overall this film is solid but of course could use some work. Deaton as Brad is fantastic. He's so crazy you never know what he's going to do next. Jamie and Murphy are both badass, in a character sense. There is some moments that Murphy falls flat but he picks it right back up with his funniness. Jamie is great, and has a nice charm to her. I do agree that the monologues are a little bit out dragged out, and Murphy's rage is a little bit out of place but it works. Brandi is also soild, as well as the other frat boys. Wilcox and Six's scene was my favorite alongside Deaton's scene in the cabin just before he dies.

The pacing could be better as well as the lighting in a modern sense. It definitely reminds me of 80s horror.

Overall I enjoyed it. They actors aren't god awful by any means but there are some patchiness sometimes, and that just might be the way it's cut.

I understand it's a low budget sub genre film, and that's okay. It's not for everyone. I am excited to see what everyone does next. Especially Deaton. Good job man and everyone involved.

Expecting a rather generic plot, I got surprised. Four frat boys have invited three young women to a party at their cabin in the woods. When they arrive, they expected more women, but was told they were delayed. So their drinks get drugged and they get assaulted. Waking up, they are told there is going to be a hunt, and they have a 60 second head start. Two are quickly killed (off camera). Abby manages to run further, and comes across a couple, Gray and Clare, who are coming back from a wedding. She pleads for help, and they offer to help her. While all three of them are by the car, the frat boys catch up, and decide they will have fun with all of them. Getting distracted, Clare and Abby manage to escape into the woods. Clare tells Abby that if she sticks with her, she will be protected. And Gray is tougher than he looks. And this is where the movie really becomes fun. There is a certain levity and chemistry between Clare and Gray, as they certainly have fun in what they do. Yes, it is low budget, the blood is not that convincing, but their methods certainly are 'delicious'. It simply was a nice change from what I expected.

Okay, so it's a good premise with a bad production value. But what makes the movie is Garrett Murphy's Gray. That dude killed his role. And I'm not just making a stupid dad pun here.

The acting is okay. The practical effects are passable, even though it's just blood. But what made the whole thing for me was watching Gray nonchallantly maul through all the stupid frat boys one by one as if he were taking drink preferences at his dinner party.

I'm definitely gonna check Garrett Murphy out in more roles, and here's hoping his roles are a lot like Gray. Cuz I think I could watch The Tales of Gray for at least four seasons.

While I had indeed never heard about this 2024 horror movie titled "Bystanders", of course I needed no persuasion to watch it, given my love of all things horror. Sure, I didn't know what I was in for, and thus had no expectations to the movie, so I suppose that writer Jamie Alvey and director Mary Beth McAndrews had every opportunity to entertain and impress me.

However, writer Jamie Alvey put together a very, very bland and generic script and storyline for director Mary Beth McAndrews to bring to the screen. There was very little enjoyment and entertainment to be found here, especially if you've spent years watching horror movies, then you're in for nothing grand here. "Bystanders" is the type of movie that you put on and let it run in the background, paying half attention to it, whilst doing something else.

I was not familiar with the cast ensemble in the movie. But despite of having a generic script to work with, the acting performances were fair enough.

Visually, then you're not in for anything spectacular. A shame really, because the movie would have benefitted from having great special effects to spruce up the otherwise mundane narrative.

"Bystanders" is not a movie that I would recommend horror fans to rush out and get to watch. It is suitable for a single viewing, then you'll bag, tag and forget all about it, never to return to it a second time.

My rating of "Bystanders" lands on a three out of ten stars.