Gory and engaging are two words that best describe Bloody Hell, the latest horror-comedy from Australia. This is a high-concept movie, counting on a very intriguing premise to occupy the viewer. And despite some issues with storytelling and cohesion, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this gruesome affair. Especially if you’re a fan of the genre. If, however, you’re not a fan, the creative setup might just interest you enough to check it out. After all, who wouldn’t want to find out what’s going on with a guy who ominously ends up in a dark basement tied to the ceiling? The movie thrives on these outlandish and almost grotesque setups first posed as a mystery, pulling you further into the story.
With a runtime of ninety minutes and good pacing, Bloody Hell does a good job of keeping your attention. You’re being fed pieces of the plot one bite at a time, going through the same ordeal as our hero. Speaking of which, Ben O’Toole was phenomenal here. He has that familiar face and I could swear I’ve seen him somewhere before. Of course, after a quick check, I found out he was in Nekrotronic, another decent Aussie horror-comedy from the same guy who brought you Wyrmwood. The rest of the cast was great too. It’s amazing that these are all Australian actors who had to learn to speak Finnish phonetically. This brings us to a very well-written script with a couple of great jokes. Especially the inner, pardon me, outer dialogue scenes with Rex were hilarious, albeit immature at times.
It’s a hot day in Boise, Idaho but Rex, an army veteran standing in a line at the local bank doesn’t care. He’s got his eyes on a young and beautiful teller Maddy and just as he’s about to charm her, a group of masked robbers breaks in. What follows is a story of murder, justice, redemption and ultimately love.
With sleek visuals and a decent amount of gore, Bloody Hell looks great. The cinematography has that stylish vibe to it and this is not some murky, low-budget grainfest. The story is reminiscent of a string of bizarre eighties movies like Frankenhooker, Brain Damage or Basket Case. Not to mention the great Peter Jackson himself and his masterpieces like BrainDead and Bad Taste. This should give you a fair idea of what you’re about to see, although this is a much more simplistic and low-key affair. Simply said, it knows what it is and doesn’t pretend it’s something more than that. And that’s an approach I appreciate immensely. More importantly, they nailed the tone of the movie right on the head. It has that suspension of belief and not taking itself seriously vibe that’s necessary for the whole concept to work.
Finally, if you’re looking for more modern horror comedies, I recommend you check out Freaky, Yummy, The Babysitter, Housebound and Hereditary.
Director: Alister Grierson
Writer: Robert Benjamin
Cast: Ben O’Toole, Meg Fraser, Caroline Craig, Matthew Sunderland, Travis Jeffery, Jack Finsterer, Joshua Brennan
Rating:
Fun Facts: The first of a planned trilogy.
IMDb Link: https://www.imdb.com/title/tt9772374/
