Director – Emir Skolonja (The Plague, Flesh of my Flesh)
Starring – Heather Dunham (Mansion of Mystery, Little Green People), Kristina Santiago (Not Another Monster Movie, Dick Johnson & Tommygun vs The Cannibal Cop), and Michael Balch (Constant Angel, The Plague 2: Biohazard Blood)
Release Date – 2020
Rating – 3.5/5
When I started writing for Horror Society, almost ten years ago, I discovered a West Virginia filmmaker who was making a series of slashers. These films, the Porkchop trilogy, followed a backwoods killer sporting a pig mask. Since then I’ve went out of my way to watch any pig-faced horror film I could. I loved Porkchop so much I tattooed him on my arm.
Anyway, a few months back director Emir Skolonja announced his new film Holland Road Massacre: The Legend of Pigman. Emir has directed several amazing movies over the years and I couldn’t wait to see what he brought to the table with his newest slasher.
**Spoiler Alert** The film follows a group of people who find themselves encountering an urban legend known only as the Pigman. They find themselves face to face with the masked maniac on a cold winter day where they must fight to survive before their blood melts the snowy ground. **Spoiler Alert**
Director Emir Skolonja is a unique filmmaker. He is always mixing up his style of films. Just when you think he is going to hit you with something he completely flips it up on you. Not too long ago he released a zombie film that pokes fun as society and cliques while keeping the zombie theme running through it. Then he catches you off guard with a slasher. Holland Road Massacre was a solid slasher but there was some things I would have liked to see done differently.
The acting in this one is pretty well done. The cast goes through a wide range of emotions while Michael Balch does a top notch job as Pigman. His mannerisms with his face covered the entire time really worked. He let his body do the talking and I really liked him as the killer. With all that being said, I didn’t care for the characters. It’s not the cast’s fault but the characters personalities really made me want them all to die.
The story for this one is a simple slash and stalk. We follow people who are in the wrong place at the wrong time who succumb to an urban legend made flesh. With that being said, the story is a little drawn out. The movie does not have that long of a run time but some could still be shaved from it to make it flow a little better.
Finally, the film has plenty of blood. The practical effects works for the film but the kills we get are nothing that memorable. Still, for a no budget slasher it satisfies. Overall, Holland Road Massacre is a fun entry into the slasher sub-genre. It’s a movie that doesn’t bring anything new to the sub-genre but still delivers the bloody fun. I highly suggest you picking up a copy and checking it out.
