Running Time: 1hr 20min
Release Date: June 11, 2015
Review by: Stacey
This was one of those movies that dragged me in by the poster alone because the plot sounded pretty uninspired. I came out of it pleasantly surprised by how not shitty it turned out to be. Apparently funded entirely through Kickstarter (for $75,000), Crush the Skull blended a good mix of comedy and horror that ended up working out pretty well for itself.
In Viet Nguyen's feature length directorial debut, CtS follows a couple of "professional" thieves who, as a result of being forced to pay off a debt they owe to local gangster, end up in the home of a deranged serial killer where they fight for their lives while trying to escape.
If it sounds familiar, it's probably because there's a more well-known movie called Don't Breathe coming out in a few months with basically the same premise. Since I've never seen Don't Breathe, I can only speculate that it takes a more serious route with the story than CtS does, which takes a more lighthearted approach. The comedy side of the film definitely worked more in its favor as the "horror" aspect took a backseat, which is what I was initially worried about in the first act of the film, because it felt like it was going towards the amateur route. Thankfully, it didn't last long and only served to give you some character development and set up exactly what kind of humor you'd be dealing with.
Speaking of the humor, it was actually funny. There were some jokes that fell a bit flat, which can be expected (and mostly forgivable) when you have a movie that's maintaining a delicate balance of trying to stay suspenseful while also being comical- and it manages to pull off both. And not to mention, the pacing never dragged or felt rushed; coming in at 80 minutes was the perfect amount of time for the story to play out and wrap up perfectly.
I would imagine when you've got a plot that has been similarly done, your next step, besides a tight script, is a competent cast- which CtS succeeded in securing. The two leads, Ollie (Chris Dinh, who also co-wrote the film) and Blair (Katie Savoy) really held the film together and had a great chemistry with each other, as well as with their co-stars who weren't lacking in the talent department either.
While the movie was short on blood and guts, it definitely made up for it with a surprisingly convincing set design. The scenes in the basement/dungeon were really well done, which in turn showed the tight budget was put to good use all around.
Crush the Skull ended up being a super enjoyable movie despite it's initial amateur-ish feel. Don't let that turn you away, because the movie is a fun one and totally worth a watch (hell, even two!). So, what I'm trying to say is- Don't sleep on this clever, little bit of low-budget entertainment.
3.5/5
Out now on VOD!
Check out the trailer below:
In Viet Nguyen's feature length directorial debut, CtS follows a couple of "professional" thieves who, as a result of being forced to pay off a debt they owe to local gangster, end up in the home of a deranged serial killer where they fight for their lives while trying to escape.
If it sounds familiar, it's probably because there's a more well-known movie called Don't Breathe coming out in a few months with basically the same premise. Since I've never seen Don't Breathe, I can only speculate that it takes a more serious route with the story than CtS does, which takes a more lighthearted approach. The comedy side of the film definitely worked more in its favor as the "horror" aspect took a backseat, which is what I was initially worried about in the first act of the film, because it felt like it was going towards the amateur route. Thankfully, it didn't last long and only served to give you some character development and set up exactly what kind of humor you'd be dealing with.
Speaking of the humor, it was actually funny. There were some jokes that fell a bit flat, which can be expected (and mostly forgivable) when you have a movie that's maintaining a delicate balance of trying to stay suspenseful while also being comical- and it manages to pull off both. And not to mention, the pacing never dragged or felt rushed; coming in at 80 minutes was the perfect amount of time for the story to play out and wrap up perfectly.
I would imagine when you've got a plot that has been similarly done, your next step, besides a tight script, is a competent cast- which CtS succeeded in securing. The two leads, Ollie (Chris Dinh, who also co-wrote the film) and Blair (Katie Savoy) really held the film together and had a great chemistry with each other, as well as with their co-stars who weren't lacking in the talent department either.
While the movie was short on blood and guts, it definitely made up for it with a surprisingly convincing set design. The scenes in the basement/dungeon were really well done, which in turn showed the tight budget was put to good use all around.
Crush the Skull ended up being a super enjoyable movie despite it's initial amateur-ish feel. Don't let that turn you away, because the movie is a fun one and totally worth a watch (hell, even two!). So, what I'm trying to say is- Don't sleep on this clever, little bit of low-budget entertainment.
3.5/5
Out now on VOD!
Check out the trailer below:
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