‘Most Horrible Things’ Review
Stars: Sarah J Butler, Martina Vargas, Rich Paul, Andrés Erickson, Sean Sprawling, Grant Pfost, Vincent Van Hinte, Simon Phillips, Sean Patrick Flannery | Written by Aviva Dove-Viebahn, Brittany Fonte | Directed by Hiroshi Katagari
Hiroshi Katagari – more known for his SFX work on films like Avatar: Way of the Water – returns to the director’s chair after a six-year absence following 2016’s Gehenna: Where Death Lives, for the horror thriller formerly known as Love Hurts… Most Horrible Things, which also sees Katagari reunited with his Gehenna actors Sean Sprawling and Simon Philips.
Starring Sean Patrick Flanery (Young Indiana Jones), Natalie Burn (Black Adam), Andrés Erickson (Dopesick), Rich Paul (Godzilla) and Sean Sprawling (Gehenna: Where Death Lives), Most Horrible Things sees six young strangers invited to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity – an exclusive dinner party hosted by a charming and enigmatic host on the most romantic night of the year, Valentine’s Day – they have nothing to lose and everything to gain. Or so they think… Lured by the promise of romantic connections and a substantial financial reward – these optimistic, bright young things come together in the hope of finding true love. But all is not what it seems, and when their host reveals their dangerous and ultimately deadly secrets – the promise of romance proves to be something far more deadly.
Most Horrible Things starts out at the end of its story, with the discovery of four bodies in a stately home… The film then jumps back and forth between Detectives HoldenS and Denver, played by Sean Patrick Flanery and Natalie Burn respectively, as they investigate the case – interrogating Sean Sprawling’s host and his butler, played by Simon Philips; and the Valentine’s Day exclusive dinner party in which the four were apparently slain.
Speaking of the party, Sean Sprawling’s enigmatic host questions his guests about their desires, their feelings etc., in a series of conversations that reveal a lot about the attending guests, leading some to a “breakthrough” and others to bicker and argue – about sexuality, racism, and a host of other socially-relevant topics. If anything Most Horrible Things has a LOT to say about society, the script from Aviva Dove-Viebahn and Brittany Fonte is packed with social commentary – unfortunately though not as much horror!
As the film hits the halfway mark and there’s a particularly awkward confrontation about racism between two of the male guests, Most Horrible Things reveals just where its story is headed, at least if you’ve seen similar “murder mysteries” – for that’s what Hiroshi Katagari’s film is. A murder mystery. It’s not a horror per se, but rather a psychological study of the human psyche, bathed in a lurid colourscape (which reminded me very much of the films Blind and Pretty Boy) with an eerie, sometimes foreboding soundtrack wrapped up in murder-mystery tropes that altogether make the story feel a lot creepier than it really is.
That’s not to say that’s a bad thing, for Most Horrible Things mystery holds your attention throughout, with the many twists helping to keep even veteran film fans wondering what’s going to happen next, right up until the film’s somewhat telegraphed conclusion – though if you don’t see said ultimate twist coming then Most Horrible Things is probably going to have on hell of an impact, much like it does on one of the film’s survivors!
*** 3/5
Most Horrible Things is available on digital platforms now, courtesy of Reel 2 Reel Films.
