Director – Christopher Leto (Sammy Slick: Vampire Slayer, Death Blow)
Starring – Ariella Aegen (Swamp Woman, Basketball Jones: The First Chapter), Blake Drivas (The Man in the White Van, Your Dad’s Greatest Nightmare), and Jessa Flux (Crackcoon, Bigfoot Exorcist)
Release Date – 2024
Rating – 3/5
It looks like I inadvertently had a Jessa Flux double feature. A few days back I was asked to review Crackcoon by filmmaker Brad Twigg which featured Jessa Flux. It was around that time that director Christopher Leto contacted me to share news that his film Psycho Science was now streaming on Tubi. I had never seen this one before and put it on my list to check out after I had watched Crackcoon.
As soon as I finished it I jumped over to Tubi and hit play on Psycho Science where I was greeted with Jessa Flux’s name during the opening credits. I wasn’t planning on having a Jess Flux double feature but it was well welcomed especially after the shitty week I’ve had.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows two beautiful women who are struggling in the dating scene so they turn to their extremely smart friend to create them the perfect man with his computer. They send him all the info and he creates them the perfect man… that is until they realize that the image they used was that of a serial killer. It doesn’t take long for his murderous side to emerge which sends him to the cabin where he committed his heinous crimes. He arrives just as two couples who had rented the cabin for a quick getaway. Now, he’s back on familiar ground with a fresh supply of victims. **Spoiler Alert**
Psycho Science’s tagline really does sum this one up the best. “It’s Weird Science meets Psycho!” and it’s not wrong. Why it took someone almost 4 decades to put these two together is beyond me but it fucking works.
The acting in this one is pretty fucking solid. We get a substantial role from Flux who is so fucking natural in front of the camera. She holds nothing back and gives fans a little skin to enjoy. We are also introduced to Ariella Aegen and Aja Toombs who are fantastic as well. They work so well together and I seriously hope we get to see them in more genre films. The supporting cast is just as solid but I found myself being truly impressed by D’Andre Noire’s performance. While Flux, Aegen, and Toombs are gorgeous and extremely talented, Noire’s performance becomes intense a his monstrous side is shown in the later scenes. I could see him taking on the role of a slasher and absolutely killing in…pun intended.
The story for this one is a lot of fun especially if you are one of those film fans with a hard on for 80’s cinema. I am, and this one really does click a lot of boxes for me. We get a throwback to one of the most popular sci-fi comedies to come out of the beloved decade that mixes with elements of Hitchcock’s classic. Honestly, it works in a campy way and when you mix that with the humor and nudity, you get something that many genre fans can enjoy. With that being said, it does hit a bit of a drag when the film transitions from the two girls looking for love to the couples going to the cabin. The car scene and subsequent scenes of them getting settled into the cabin is a bit of a slow burn. I understand why we have it but it could be trimmed down a bit.
Finally, the film has several death scenes with some blood. We get a some light effects but nothing too drastic or memorable. The film puts a lot of emphasis on story, character development, and nudity over gore and effects. It’s a bummer but a film can’t be perfect. Overall, Psycho Science is the mash up I never considered but one that I absolutely love. I seriously hope director Christopher Leto follows this one up with a sequel or another unexpected mash up, Be sure to check this one out on Tubi!
