SLUMBER PARTY MASSACRE

 

Another year, another remake of a horror film and this time it's the turn of The Slumber Party Massacre, a film that was first released back in 1982. Being described as a modern reimagining of the original cult classic, dropping the "The" from the title being the first step, does it justify its existence?

Dana (Hannah Gonera), daughter of the only survivor of a massacre in 1993, is going on a weekend trip with her friends. After their car breaks down in the very same town where her mother once fought the Driller Killer, Dana and her friends must come face-to-face with the man who has haunted her mother’s life for the past 30 years.

Slumber Party Massacre is a good time, subverting the horror tropes in quite funny fashion as roles are switched up for the genders amidst all the chaos. Suzanne Keilly writing a witty screenplay that puts the women front and centre as figures not to be messed with, much to the Driller Killer's surprise. 

It may not be the scariest horror film but as a slasher it delivers plenty of gore and kills to maintain such an entertaining element to proceedings, the practical effects put to good us throughout. The trouble is, there's such a high bar for slasher films and Slumber Party Massacre doesn't come close to really hitting it.

The performances are fine enough, each of the targeted group doing well with their respective character traits amongst friends. There's no performance here that really stands out to make this such a memorable film amidst such legendary past performances within the genre but it works for this film enough to make it watchable.

It may not break new ground as a slasher film, nor does it challenge the likes of Halloween or Scream as masterpieces of the genre, but Slumber Party Massacre is a serviceable film that is both harmless and a fun way to spend a Friday night on the sofa.

Verdict: ★★★