Review: Mark Pavia’s Fender Bender (2016)

I remember when Fender Bender was getting ready to make its world premiere on Chiller. It was shown during every commercial break and I remember being extremely interested in it; thinking it was a re-vamped, modern take on The Hitcher. But, me being me, I was scheduled to work and forgot to DVR it and I missed the one airing that’s taken place on Chiller so far. After my requests for a screener were ignored, I was still interested enough to go out and purchase a DVD copy of the movie this Halloween season. My mistake was choosing to watch Fender Bender with my best friend and her mother. The three of us usually watch our scary movies with a couple of glasses of wine in our bellies and the viewing plays out like an episode of “Mystery Science Theater 3000.” That, however, proved to be my only mistake and I ended up really enjoying Fender Bender to the point of considering watching it again in the future. Here’s why I thought it was so good.

Starting from an emotional standpoint, I’m glad that Fender Bender is such a success story for Mark Pavia. The film-maker only has two previous projects on his resume: short film Drag and 1997’s cult classic The Night Flier. Fender Bender is his first piece of work in almost 20 years and it’s picked up for distribution by Shout Factory and broadcast on the biggest network for horror films. As someone who supports independent films and their creators, this makes me want to stand up and cheer. Not only did Pavia bring a second wind into his career, but he also did so with an entertaining picture that’s probably the second best premiere in Chiller history in terms of quality. Fender Bender was a clever mix of The Hitcher and When A Stranger Calls and styled as PG13 horror for teens. It was fun!

Our story begins with the typical opening death sequence, quickly followed by a high school girl, Hilary, catching her popular boyfriend cheating on her with a classmate. She’s able to flee the scene in her mom’s new car, unscathed, but she ends up being rear-ended at a stop sign. Both drivers are fine and the damage isn’t too bad; the only problem being the man who hit her car is acting very strange. They exchanged information and part ways, seemingly ending a very mild traffic accident. It isn’t until later that night, with her parents out of town for the weekend, that Hilary becomes aware of another presence stalking her from outside and inside the house. Her two best friends join her for pizza and cake to celebrate the shitty day she had and her personal growth as a stronger woman, but their festivities are abruptly ended by an unwelcome intruder. It turns out the information the Hilary received was that of a dead woman and the driver that killed her is already on the hunt for his next victim. Actually, he’s already at the back door. Get your keys and buckle up for this wild ride!

To some extent, Fender Bender was created as an homage to classic 70’s and 80’s horror movies like the two I named above. The alternate DVD cover, the flow of the movie, the VHS quality special feature and more, it’s clear that it’s a love letter to old school horror. A lot of people attempt this style and tactic, but few have achieved the desired effect. I’m happy to say that Fender Bender succeeds with this directional choice, though I must warn you again that it also falls into the realm of hip PG-13 horror. It was a perfect choice for me to watch during Halloween season, especially at night surrounded by orange lights and pumpkin decorations. Everything just oozed nostalgia. I was shocked by the level of suspense I found here, that I didn’t notice until the movie was over. I enjoyed the jump scares, which weren’t abused, and I found myself rooting for our survival girl. I was shocked by the body count and gore in Fender Bender, which I wasn’t expecting either. Five people get butchered, some following adequate chase scenes, and that’s a pretty decent number for a film with this plot. It’s always a worthwhile experience to go into viewing expecting an average title and coming away with a much better cinematic adventure!

My only complaint lies with the stupid decisions people make throughout the entire movie, which is quite common in the world of horror films. From the opening death, to the accident, to the shower scene, to the hiding scenes and the final confrontation… everyone seems to be a french fry or two short of a Happy Meal. It’s always frustrating to be invested in characters, as I was here, and then see them through their lives away with unrealistic decision making skills. Just once it would be nice to see a killer succeed in his massacre because he’s well thought out and vicious and not because his victims are dimwitted. I was all for our final girl, Hilary, kicking major ass, but she never seemed to be committed to her own survival. At least the entire cast is comprised of talented, fresh faced actors. All of them pulled in amazing performances that only highlighted the drama and suspense on screen. Makenzie Vega (“The Good Wife,” Saw), Bill Sage (American Psycho, Precious), Dre Davis (“Pretty Little Liars,” “Project Runway”), Kelsey Leos Montoya, Harrison Sim, Lora Martinez Cunningham, Hilary Guler and Cassidy Freeman (“Longmire,” “The Vampire Diaries”) star.

Fender Bender is suspenseful, stylish and scary. A well acted tribute to the great horror films of the 80s. I would recommend it to old school horror fans and those who like titles like Joy Ride. Tremendous rewatchability and tremendous sequel/franchise potential. Final Score: 7.5 out of 10.