The Invisible Raptor

This was a film that I heard about from FrightFest over in the United Kingdom. It went on a list of films to check out. Now I got to see this as the first film to start day 3 at Nightmares Film Festival. I'll preface here that I'm not always the biggest comedy/horror film, but since this one had gotten positive buzz from podcasters, I was intrigued.

Synopsis: an amusement park paleontologist and a hapless security guard team up to stop an invisible raptor from wreaking havoc on their small town.

We start in a laboratory. William Walsh (Sean Astin) works on an experiment with John Sykes (Bobby Gilchrist). There is a raptor that is in a cage. They're trying to gauge if it is learning through a computer game. What complicates things here is that it is invisible. It gets the question correct and meat is given as a reward. We see that this raptor is smarter than we realize. It gets free, killing William and escaping with John.

The movie then shifts over to Dino World. What is funny here is that it is inspired by Jurassic Park. This version is cheesier though. Dr. Grant Walker (Mike Capes) is giving a presentation on raptors. It is during this that we meet Elliot Kintner, his mom Debra (J. J. Nolan) as well as Amber (Caitlin McHugh). Grant has history with her and he embarrasses himself with a dance. He does this with Deniel Denielson (David Shackelford). He is the security guard, but also doubles as an actor inside of a dinosaur suit.

Grant realizes there is something wrong when they can't find Denny's dog. There is blood, but no sign of it. There is a footprint that matches one from a raptor. This takes Grant to the local police, Sheriff Grimley (Richard Riehle) and Deputy Carlyle (Dave Theune), who don't believe him. It is an outrageous idea with no proof.

Elliot is the next victim, along with a chicken stand belonging to Henrietta McCluckskey (Sandy Martin). The deaths pile up and Amber is attacked, making her believe Grant. It is a fight for survival against the perfect killing machine that we can't even see.

That is where I'll leave my recap and introduction to the characters. I'll then bring back up here how I'm not the biggest comedy/horror fan. What I'll say here is that this was a fun film to watch with a crowd. The premises are outrageous and I believe I read it was budgetary. They didn't have the money to make the raptor look good, so they went over the top and it works. This also features good writing with references and callbacks. Just wanted to give that credit here.

Now this doesn't have the deepest story, but it doesn't need it. It is riffing on Jurassic Park. Our lead character is a paleontologist and he's Dr. Grant. He made a discovery and then was screwed out of the fame and money that came with it. The guy who stole it owns the corporation that is behind this experiment. Since Steven Spielberg directed that classic, this refers to different things from his career. This has Jaws with Elliot Kintner getting attacked. How they track the dinosaur also harkens back. Another reference that doesn't associate with Spielberg is the exploding arrow, which is a callback to Rambo. Seeing different things like this sprinkled throughout made me smile.

What I was also glad to see was that this doesn't shy away from the horror. There are bloody deaths as people get torn apart. I'll pull in filmmaking here to say that I'm glad they went practical with as much of the gore as they could. There was CGI used in different places as well, but that was mostly things that I don't know if there was any other way that they could do it. I'll also say that the cinematography was good. They frame things well to bring to life that there's an invisible creature. Having dust kick up, things stuck to it or similar ways, which was impressive there as well. They also did good things with the sound design.

Now since this is an outrageous premise, I do love that there is comedy through things that are said. It can be absurd at times, as you may expect. These people are playing this straight though. That is tough so I'll credit that first. Capes feels like he's trying to be Ryan Reynolds and it oddly works here. There is sarcasm to him, but the character is awkward so fit. Martin is hilarious in her role as this small business conspiracy theorist. Shackelford is so weird and I loved it. He is doing what he thinks is normal. McHugh is gorgeous. The film knows it but she also is one of the heroes so there is that. I'll also say that Astin, Gilchrist, Larry Hankin, Riehle, Theune and the rest of the cast rounded this out for what was needed.

In conclusion, this is a movie that on paper I should hate. It is absurd and at times, over the top. I'll say though that I just enjoyed my time here. It is wild in the best way possible, while also having the characters play it straight. The comedy comes from situations and characters. I thought this was well-made from the practical effects to the cinematography and framing. There is CGI but not much that could be done there without it. This won't be for everyone. Just shutting off your brain and rolling with it is fun.

My Rating: 6.5 out of 10.

If you're looking for prestige cinema or profound storytelling, keep walking. The Invisible Raptor knows exactly what it is-silly, over-the-top, and completely bonkers-and that's exactly why it works. Directed by Mike Hermosa, this film delivers a chaotic blend of juvenile humor, nonsensical writing, and cornball antics, but it does so with a knowing wink that makes it impossible not to have fun. This isn't "so bad it's good"; it's so ridiculous it's perfect.

The plot-such as it exists-is hilariously absurd, with characters so exaggerated they might as well be caricatures. The acting is gloriously campy, with everyone from Sean Astin to Richard Riehle fully embracing the ridiculousness. And those cameos! Bunny Levine and Larry Hankin? Pure gold. Each performance feels like the actors are in on the joke, which makes their scenes all the more delightful.

While the humor is unapologetically dumb and juvenile, it's also strangely endearing. It feels like the filmmakers weren't just trying to entertain us but were also having a blast themselves. The special effects, while not groundbreaking, are surprisingly polished for a movie of this type. One particular scene (you'll know it when you see it) features genuinely impressive cinematography that momentarily tricks you into thinking you're watching a much higher-budget production.

But what really sells the movie is its self-awareness. Hermosa leans all the way into the absurd premise without ever apologizing for it. The result? A film that doesn't take itself too seriously and dares its audience to sit back, relax, and have a great time.

The Invisible Raptor isn't trying to reinvent cinema or win awards. It's a love letter to camp, to creature features, and to the kind of movies you watch with a group of friends while quoting lines and laughing your head off. For fans of B-movies, it's a must-watch. For everyone else? Well, you probably weren't the target audience anyway.

Rating: 7/10 Recommended for: B-movie enthusiasts, fans of campy humor, and anyone who enjoys watching dinosaurs wreak havoc... invisibly.

I have forced 2 people to watch this movie. They came in kicking and screaming, but in no time they were all in. As I said in the title, this movie knows exactly what it's doing. It's refreshing, it's hilarious, and is easily the best movie I've seen in 2024. Mostly practical effects, actual actors and extras. It might sound strange to some but the less blue room acting the better. It was fun to watch and written well.

Spielberg references are everywhere and the actors have great chemistry. It's hard not to spoil you, there are so so many soon to be classic scenes. I gave this film a 10, it's more like an 9 but I can already tell I'll be watching this movie many more times. That's worth the ten. Thank you for the amazing movie!!

Just watched this earlier tonight and didn't quite know what I was gonna get. It felt a bit cheesy and lowbudgetty from the name and description..and, to be fair...it IS both of those things BUT what I didn't know was how really well acted and funny it was going to be.

The movie 'feels' like a much bigger production than I think it is and I think that's in part due to writing, acting and cinematography - all which were above par.

I really enjoyed it. A lot more than most movies I've seen this year. I gave it a well deserved 8.

Check it out for yourself.

Just watched this earlier tonight and didn't quite know what I was gonna get. It felt a bit cheesy and lowbudgetty from the name and description..and, to be fair...it IS both of those things BUT what I didn't know was how really well acted and funny it was going to be.

The movie 'feels' like a much bigger production than I think it is and I think that's in part due to writing, acting and cinematography - all which were above par.

I really enjoyed it. A lot more than most movies I've seen this year. I gave it a well deserved 8.

Check it out for yourself.

This is one of the best B movies I've ever seen. If you liked Sharknado then you will love this film. It has everything you would expect and even some great surprises. It doesn't take itself seriously, but is still well made and script is on point. It knows what's it's meant to be and I was literally laughing out loud the whole time. I can't say enough good things about this, the actors are all amazing and really sell their roles. I was emotionally invested from the very beginning. If you don't like these type of movies then move and live your life and move on, but if you want experience 90 minutes of pure joy, then look no further!