Fender Bender (2016)

Running Time: 1hr 31min

Release Date: May 23, 2016

Directed/Written by: Mark Pavia

Review by: Stacey

The slasher movies of the 80's seem to hold a special place in the hearts of the majority of us in the horror community, but at the same time we tend to side-eye anything that comes out nowadays that even resembles a slasher.  Mostly because anything done now that follows the slasher formula ends up feeling tired and also because it's hard to create an iconic villain with the likes of Freddy or Michael (that's not to say there aren't a couple out there that are up to par, but it's usually few and far between).

Clearly what pulled me in to Mark Pavia's Fender Bender was the obvious throwback cover art for the film, which I found out was the first film co-produced with ChillerTV and Shout! Factory and was then aired on the channel some time in June of this year.

Fender Bender follows 17 yr old Hilary (Makenzie Vega) who gets into a fender bender shortly after getting her drivers license and exchanges information with the stranger who was at fault.  Her parents, who are angry with her for the accident, decide to go out of town without her.  Shortly after they leave, Hilary starts to receive text messages from the stranger but thinking nothing of it, decides to share the evening with a couple of her friends at her house.  They soon realize that the stranger is a killer who plans to make them his next victims.

If it seems like I just gave the entire movie away, it's because I did.  The plot is very basic and doesn't have many frills.  What I appreciate about a good slasher is the high body count and the buckets of blood we're usually treated to, which seemed to be lacking in Fender Bender, but that could also be blamed on the fact that it was technically a TV movie.  What I did like was the overall premise of the movie; most people really don't think exchanging a majority of their personal info with a complete stranger after an accident is a big deal, but what if that other person is a friggin' psycho?  If anything it'll definitely make you reconsider that the next time someone taps your bumper at a red light.

Bill Sage who played "The Driver" was pretty goddamn creepy and definitely needed far more screen time than was given.  His getup was unsettling with what resembled a DIY gimp mask.  I could appreciate the lack of motive given for his actions, which makes me wonder if they'll ever put out a sequel, which might not be a terrible idea.  The characters of Hilary and her two friends weren't totally insufferable and it was refreshing to see "teenagers" who weren't written in to be party animals.

Fender Bender was clearly a bit of a low-budget flick and it was mostly noticeable in the lack of locations/set.  The chase scenes inside the house were a little cringey when you noticed the soon-to-be victim barely even running away from the killer because the house was too small to get a full run in.

I think my favorite part of the movie, though, was the score.  Done by Nightrunner it was damn good and deliciously synth-y and so 80's.  I'm gonna need to know if they've got the soundtrack on vinyl.

Honestly, Fender Bender really isn't a bad movie by any means.  It's quite derivative, but that's kind of what you have to expect with any movie that's adding itself to the slasher genre.  This one does have a slight nostalgic feel (probably mostly due to the music), but if you're looking for something fresh and new, this one probably isn't the movie you're looking for.  Now if you want a no-frills, easy watch, then this one will be right up your alley.

3/5

Out on VOD now!

Check out the trailer below: