Blu-ray Review: Initiation (2021)

July 23, 2021

Written by Kelli Marchman McNeely

Kelli Marchman McNeely is the owner of HorrorFuel.com. She is an Executive Producer of "13 Slays Till Christmas" which is out on Digital and DVD and now streaming on Tubi. She has several other films in the works. Kelli is an animal lover and a true horror addict since the age of 9 when she saw Friday the 13th. Email: horrorfuelinfo@gmail.com


 
 
When a girl is assaulted at a frat party during pledge week a series of murders strike the campus sending everyone into a panic in Initiation, from director John Berardo.
 
One of the reasons the 90s were so epic for the horror genre was because of the amount and quality of slasher movies that were unleashed, movies like I Know What You Did Last Summer and  Scream. Initiation feels like it is straight from that era, while still remaining current.
 
Initiation delivers both great effects, an interesting story, and keeps the masked killer’s identity under wraps until the last possible moment, leaving you wondering who could be the man in the hoodie that loves power tools. And I must say, that the identity is a nice twist that I didn’t see coming, which is rare these days.
 
As for the kills, there are several that you haven’t seen before, which is surprising seeing the number of horror movies that come out every year. Things get bloody and brutal, two things every horror fan loves.
 
Lindsay Lavanchy leads the cast as Ellery and does so very well. She made Ellery feel real and relatable while she struggles with the events following the party. Isabella Gomez, Froy Gutierrez, Gattlin Griffith, Patrick Walker, Bart Johnson, Shireen Lai, Kent Faulcon, Yancy Butler, and Lochlyn Munro also star in the movie co-written by Brian Frager, Lindsay Lavanchy.
 
Initiation takes a stab at delivering a message about drunken assaults while keeping you entertained as frat boy after frat boy gets their dues. So, here’s the big question, do I recommend it? Yes, I do. It’s a good flick that will keep you guessing and have you on the edge of your seat to the very end.
 
Initiation is now out on Blu-ray and DVD, from Lionsgate. Check it out and let us know what you think.
 
BLU-RAY / DVD SPECIAL FEATURES

  • Hidden Secrets: Surviving Initiation
  • The Final Twist: Postproduction

 
 

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