Saw this at Nevermore Film Festival in Durham, NC last weekend. I thought it was one of the highlights of the festival.
It's difficult to set the right tone for a comic horror film, but this one hits the mark. Of course, it helped to see it on the big screen in a sold-out theater.
I have to applaud the writer - clever dialog and jokes along with the scares. And the actors were all great - with close to a star-making performance from Jennifer Laporte as Fern. Vincent Martella as her first boyfriend Robert was also good - somehow walking the fine line between youthful earnestness and creepy obsession. There was appropriate time spent to make their relationship awkward and touching, like real teenagers.
The writer was generous enough to provide even the supporting cast with great lines and character arcs. For instance, Fern's sister could have been a thankless role - providing easy jokes as a stereotypical airhead. But she has her own interesting subplot. And the track coach was an inspired creation - flawed, but strong and wonderful.
I also liked the flashbacks, animated to resemble a child's crayon drawings. And the plot continued to build to a satisfying conclusion -- another trick that's not so easy to pull off. Very impressive.
It's difficult to set the right tone for a comic horror film, but this one hits the mark. Of course, it helped to see it on the big screen in a sold-out theater.
I have to applaud the writer - clever dialog and jokes along with the scares. And the actors were all great - with close to a star-making performance from Jennifer Laporte as Fern. Vincent Martella as her first boyfriend Robert was also good - somehow walking the fine line between youthful earnestness and creepy obsession. There was appropriate time spent to make their relationship awkward and touching, like real teenagers.
The writer was generous enough to provide even the supporting cast with great lines and character arcs. For instance, Fern's sister could have been a thankless role - providing easy jokes as a stereotypical airhead. But she has her own interesting subplot. And the track coach was an inspired creation - flawed, but strong and wonderful.
I also liked the flashbacks, animated to resemble a child's crayon drawings. And the plot continued to build to a satisfying conclusion -- another trick that's not so easy to pull off. Very impressive.