kolkrabe

In recent years, the shock and sleaze genre has waned, with fewer films daring to provoke visceral audience reactions. B-movies and grindhouse-style films have a unique magnetism, showcasing rarely seen images that evoke both fascination and revulsion. Many renowned directors, like Coppola with Dementia 13, started in this realm. Damien Leone's Terrifier series made headlines for causing physical reactions in theaters, yet Alex Phillips' All Jacked Up and Full of Worms strives for a similar impact but ultimately falls short. Centering on characters who find euphoria in consuming hallucinogenic worms, the film introduces Roscoe and Benny, who bond over worm-fueled highs and relationship troubles. However, the plot, cluttered with cannibals, sex dolls, and televangelists, struggles to hold coherence.

While the film has its moments-particularly in the gross-out sequences that evoke the era of exploitative shock cinema-it lacks a cohesive narrative. The outlandish concept of worm-induced euphoria is intriguing, but the storyline loses focus amid scattered, provocative scenes. Betsey Brown stands out in her role, yet her character is underutilized. Though the film revels in its own bizarre premise, it misses the opportunity to delve deeper into its twisted exploration of addiction and depravity, leaving viewers intrigued yet dissatisfied. All Jacked Up and Full of Worms teeters on the edge of exploitative horror, but its chaotic delivery ultimately dampens its impact.

A striking mix of psychological horror and raw gore that tackles Austria's dark past head-on. The story centers on Holbrook, an American retrieval expert obsessed with finding hidden Nazi documents in a crumbling farmhouse. As his mind begins to unravel, he encounters an ancient evil tied to Austria's lingering wartime guilt.

Adding a personal edge, the film was shot entirely on director Johannes Grenzfurthner's actual grandfather's abandoned farm. This hauntingly real setting, along with family photos portraying the sinister Wolfgang Zinggl and his grandson, brings a disturbing authenticity to the already eerie story.