Director – Mathew Kister (Shivers Down Your Spine, The Eyes of Isabelle)
Starring – Megan Garcia (Camp Blood 4, Shivers Down Your Spine), Steve Eaton (The Grand Horror, Outpost Doom), and Anastasia August
Release Date – 2020
Rating – 4/5
Tagline – “Twice the thrills… Twice the kills… Twice the chills… Down your spine”
This year may be a shit show but there was some good things to come out of it. I mean, not as much as the bad but I’ll take what I can get at this point. Several years ago I reviewed the boobtastic horror anthology Shivers Down Your Spine. It was a fun anthology that had a fantastic wrap around segment that really held everything together nicely.
A few days back director Mathew Kister reached out to review the film’s sequel Chills Down Your Spine. I quick to say yes to that request and I’m glad I did because it was just as fun as the first film. Thanks Mathew for allowing me the opportunity to check this one out!
**spoiler Alert** This film follows two different djinnies, Mahktoonah and Sabiah (Garcia in a duel role), are called upon by two different individuals. Mahtoonah is summoned by a man trying to find his love Sabiah while Sabiah is summoned by a mask wearing serial killer. As the film unfolds the djinnis tell stories to the two men while their individual stories unfold and they finally meet.**Spoiler Alert**
I had no doubt that Chills would be just as fun as Shivers but I had no idea it would be on the scale that it is. The movie really impressed me at every turn from the acting to the stories and the sets. Honestly, Chills shattered my expectations and I absolutely loved it.
The acting in this one is phenomenal from the entire cast. Megan Garcia handles duel roles in this one and is fantastic. Her characters are very fun and bring a lot of life to the film. The same can be said for the remainder of the cast. The film has a lot of cast members with no weak links. We have strong male roles and just as strong female roles. With that being said, the ladies cast in this one are absolutely stunning. They are all gorgeous and most bare it all for the camera.
The stories for this one vary from comedic supernatural tales to westerns with horror twists. At almost 3 hours I would be here all day discussing each tale. What you need to know is that with a running time of 2 hours and 49 minutes there is not a second wasted here. I loved every minute of this one but I am confused as to why the two wrap arounds segments and their subsequent stories are not separated into two different films. I don’t mind the length of the film but the filmmaker and company could release two films instead of one for additional profit. Regardless, it’s worth your time.
Finally, this film is a beautiful piece of cinema. The sets and lighting are nothing short of brilliant. You can pause the film at any moment and what you will get is a work of art. Also, the film has plenty of blood and great practical effects along with some solid make-up effects. There is literally something for everyone in this one. Overall, Chills Down Your Spine is my contender for best indie horror film of 2020 and one of the best horror anthologies I’ve seen in a long time. This movie is a must for any horror fan and if you complain about the abundance of boobs then you need to check out a movie from Richard Griffin instead.
