Show business can be a dog-eat-dog world, or as director D.W. Thomas shows in her new horror comedy Too Late, a monster-eat-comedian world. The film is a darkly humorous look at the world of stand-up comedy that boasts solid acting and an engaging story.
Violet Fields (Alyssa Limperis) is the assistant to renowned comedian and showcase host Bob Devore (Ron Lynch). She stays with him in hopes that he will finally give her a long-promised break, but in the back of her mind she knows it may never come, even though she loyally performs her main duty — providing Devore, who is a centuries-old monster, with stand-up comedians for him to eat. When Devore takes Violet’s new love interest Jimmy Rhodes (Will Weldon) under his wing, Violet must try her best to keep Jimmy from becoming Devore’s next meal — or worse.
Thomas directs from a sharp screenplay written by her husband Tom Becker, and she does a fine job balancing the horror elements with satire taking on the world of up-and-coming stand-up comics. Limperis is a blast as the frazzled Violet, and Devore brings an arrogant creepiness to his character. Weldon leads an impressive supporting cast that includes a good number of stand-up comics, with Portlandia and Saturday Night Live alum Fred Armisen turning in a fun supporting role. The technical aspects are all handled well, including some fun visual effects as Devore feeds on his victims.
Strongly recommended for horror comedy fans and fright-fare aficionados looking for something delightfully different, Too Late is a unique work loaded with talent and verve.
Too Late, from Gravitas Ventures, is currently playing in select theaters and on digital platforms including iTunes, Google Play, Fandango Now and all major cable/satellite platforms.
