donderdag 13 oktober 2016

Bastard (2015)

Summary
Five strangers - newlywed serial killers, a suicidal cop, and two runaways - become suspect and victim when a masked murderer makes its presence known in an isolated mountain town.

Genre : Horror
Country : USA

Cast :
Ellis Greer : Hannah

Dan Creed : West
Tonya Kay : Rachael

Director : Powell Robinson, Patrick Robert Young

My opinion

"You should've killed him.
Yeah, I know. But it's your turn."

At first sight "Bastard" is just another horror of the slasher genre. But with the eccentric characters and their strange behavior, one tries to depart from well-established patterns used in this genre. In the third part of the story they are trying to bring up a very crazy twist. Surprising? Yes. But in my eyes a bit exaggerated and too far-fetched. This was a minor disappointing aspect in "Bastard". The storyline was a bit exorbitant. The first time it was shocking. The next moment it felt pretty laughable.

Feel free to call "Bastard" in one breath weird, kooky, and richly overdone. So, if you're looking for a horror with lots of abnormalities, in such amount that you start to wonder if there's anyone sane playing in it, this film is the right thing. The atmosphere feels great from the beginning. A dusty road with two seemingly innocent, stranded tourists hitchhiking. Lets meet Hannah (Ellis Greer) and West (Dan Creed), a newlywed couple. Soon you'll come to the conclusion that they are completely crazy. A kind of a "Natural Born Killers" duo. Especially Hannah is an explosive barrel full of insanity. One wrong word or too much ogling at her richly filled T-shirt is enough to make her explode. The flirtatious behavior of the driver in the car that just stopped, immediately gives rise to a heavy hammer being planted in his forehead (after which the victim is expertly cut into pieces along the way). And thus the tone has been set.

After this, the other protagonists are introduced. First West gives two youngsters hitchhiking along the way a ride. Betty (Rebekah Kennedy) and Jake (Will Tranfo) seem to be an innocent-looking couple. But at the same time you know something isn't right. Betty is the somewhat timid shy type, while Jake is the slightly smoother talker. If it was up to Hannah, who thoroughly starts hating the two teenagers from the first moment, they would end up in pieces in the trunk of the car. After this, Michael (Burt Culver) is introduced. A gay police officer with a serious drinking problem and suicidal tendencies. Unfortunately you won't find out why Michael is suicidal. Let alone you will find out why Hannah and West have become such brutal serial killers. Not that it matters, but it would be an interesting addition.

The second act takes place in Rachael's (Tonya Kay) bed and breakfast. Rachael is a not so bad-looking hostess who quickly makes it perfectly clear, to Hannah in an explicit verbal way, that she isn't someone to mess around with. Nevertheless an odd way to show hospitality. That same evening Michael warns them that some teenagers have disappeared. That can't prevent them to organize a trek through the forest the next day. Oddity number two. Next we get a sort of "Friday the 13th" where you'll be wondering who'll be the next victim and who's the perpetrator. After seeing the part where the local bartender undergoes a spine transplant,you know what to expect. This fragment also shows the used absurd humor in this film. When the bartender ventured into a romp with his horny girlfriend (enough reason to leave the bar unattended. Oddity number three), you weren't expecting that his girlfriend would pull out a purple strap-on dildo. And even less, that this object would be a convenient means of defense.

The denouement in the third act is absolutely bizarre and disturbing. A complete deranged development and disclosure. Something I totally didn't expect. Before I knew it, some deformed nipples were hurled back and forth in front of me and a totally derailed conspiracy was unfolded. But I must admit that it was a highly entertaining movie. Not only because of the bloody and sometimes intense scenes (that spine), but also because of the acting. It was surprisingly well done. Especially between Hannah and West the chemistry was obviously present. And the humor used was rather subtle. The interplay between Ellis Greer and Dan Creed was simply magnificent. Perhaps the end was a bit "over the top". But it surpassed all the typical slashers which are presented nowadays. A must for the fans!