Movie Review: Monster Party (2018)

December 19, 2018

Written by DanXIII

Daniel XIII; the result of an arcane ritual involving a King Diamond album, a box of Count Chocula, and a copy of Swank magazine, is a screenwriter, director, producer, actor, artist, and reviewer of fright flicks…Who hates ya baby?

Dodge (Brandon Micheal Hall), Casper (Sean Strike) and Iris (Virginia Gardner) are small potatoes in the crime scene…just a trio o’ pals committing low-level burglaries and the like…but soon they set their eyes on a bigger prize. Ya see, C-dawg’s pops is in some serious shit with a loan shark to whom he owes ten large and the gang gets the neon light idea to pose as caterers and rob a rich AF family, The Dawsons by name, during a din-din shindig being held at their palatial estates while the family is occupied with the festivities at hand. The only problem? These Dawson characters are a weird lot. Patriarch Patrick (Julian McMahon) and son Elliot (Kian Lawley) are off-putting as balls, though to be fair at first glance mother Roxanne (Robin Tunney) and daughter Alexis (Erin Moriarty) are relatively normal. As for the party itself, it’s comprised of only male guests minus one female participant (who desperately asks our faux food service workers for help) and before long our heroes are plunged head long into the horror biz as rather sharp tools and weapons make an appearance as does their oft bedfellow; murder! Will our antagonists make it out of that mad manse intact…and will they learn the obvious lesson at hand; never become a caterer.
Starting with the positive; Monster Party has a solid cast with strong chemistry; both among our scrappy and shady heroes, and the freaky family they find themselves at the mercy of…though that’s not to say their characters are ones we want nearly ninety minutes with either (more on that below). Another big plus is the slick aesthetic veneer this film possesses. Writer/Director Chris von Hoffmann, along with Cinematographer Tobias Deml, present a visual style that’s slicker than owl shit, and the film always looks fantastic.
Now there is a season…turn, turn, turn. As mentioned above, our main characters aren’t the most likable individuals in the world, and their grating personalities make them hard to root for…kind of a large negative in a picture such as this where “innocents” find themselves up shit creek with a pack of psychos nippin’ at their heels. Also the pacing of this film leaves a lot to be desired as the gang goon (and on…and on) debating if they should commit the crime that serves as the crux for the entire forward momentum of the plot (seriously, this takes nearly a third of the film’s run time). Finally, and most egregious, is the near utter lack of on screen carnage. Sure we get to see some of our beloved red sauce tossed about, but the camera manages to cut away on nearly every death. What gives?!!
At the end of the day, Monster Party isn’t a complete bust. There are some solid story elements here and there, the acting is strong, and the whole affair sure is pretty to look at…but I dare say you’ll never give it a second glance after the credits roll.
 

 

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