Director – Jay Baruchel (Goon: Last of the Enforcers, Trailer Park Boys)
Starring – Jesse Williams (Cabin in the Woods, Jacob’s Ladder), Jordana Brewster (The Faculty, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Beginning), and Jay Baruchel)
Release Date – 2019
Rating – 3/5
Shudder has really been impressing me the last year or so. I was skeptical about the streaming service but after reviewing a dozen or so of their originals and exclusives I decided to give them a go. Their selections of genre films is really impressive and I’m still keeping an eye out for all their physical releases.
A few weeks ago I received the press release for Jay Baruchel’s Random Acts of Violence. I had seen some of my horror friends mention it previously so I couldn’t wait to check it out. I reached out to RLJE and they were kind enough to send a copy my way for review. Thanks guys!
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a comic writer and his girlfriend who takes a trip to search for some inspiration for an ending to his comic series Slasherman. The comic series is inspired by a series of murders from sometime ago so he is visiting the area, his hometown, to help him write his ending. However, someone is following him and committing murders directly inspired by his comics sticking him in the middle of a hellish nightmare that he has created. **Spoiler Alert**
I was really curious to see a horror flick from comedian Jay Baruchel. I’ve always enjoyed his comedies and thought of him as an underrated actor so it was cool seeing him tackle my favorite genre. I really enjoyed this one but it wasn’t as wild as many of my horror friends had lead me to believe. It was a lot like VFW. It was brutal but the kills couldn’t hold the story.
The acting in this one is fantastic. Jesse Williams is phenomenal in the lead. I remember him from Cabin in the Woods and liked him there but here he really shines. I also liked Baruchel in a serious role. I’ve watched him in comedies for years and it was great seeing him tackle a more serious role. With that being said, I just wasn’t feeling Jordana Brewster in her role. Her scenes where she is under distress or terrified just felt so forced. Her performance is by far the weakest and a lot of the scenes just doesn’t feel like she had her heart in the right place.
The story for this one is pretty straight forward and the twist is predictable but it was still entertaining. The comic writer telling a series of murders, that are inspired by real life murders, and then discovers that the murders he depicts in his comics are happening around him is a pretty fun spin on a slasher film. The twist that the film hints to through is a bit predictable so it doesn’t have the impact that Baruchel was expecting but the rest of the story is still pretty fun. With that being said, there is a lot of slow paced scenes that does drag the film down at times.
Finally, the film has some pretty brutal and violent deaths with some pretty amazing practical effects. The kills are swift and very memorable with some amazing practical effects. I was really fascinated with the “art” created out of the bodies. The effects department did a phenomenal job here. Overall, Random Acts of Violence is one for those of you looking for the blood. Fans of VFW will enjoy this one due to the amount of amazing practical effects but the story is a little lacking at times. I enjoyed it and I’m glad Shudder had their hands on it.
