“When trying to summon a demon…you must endure the consequences!”
The slasher genre of horror is always a favorite among horror fans. Whether it’s the classic 80’s films such as Halloween and Friday the 13th, or the more modern movies such as Laid to Rest and Hatchet , fans are always in for a bloody treat! In 2016, a new breed of slasher was unleashed, and we were introduced to a new face of fear. This movie is called Knucklebones! Written, directed, and produced by Mitch Wilson in his first full length feature film, it was an official selection at the Sitges and Frightfest London film festivals and has now been distributed by Midnight Releasing in the U.S.
THE PLOT
The film follows a young woman named Neesa (Julin), who is struggling with a troubled past and currently dealing with some personal relationship problems. After recovering from a difficult decision, she is encouraged by her best friend Samantha (Katie Bosacki) to join her and some friends for a night of drinking and just kicking back to have some fun. Along with Adam (Cameron Dean Stewart), Travis (Justin Arnold), and Kia (Taylor Tippins), the group decides to hang out in an old abandoned factory.
After a few drinks, they decide to wander around and discover a hidden crate containing a small box of “summoning stones” made from the bones of a human hand. These stones are capable of summoning the ancient demon known as Knucklebones (Tom Zembrod), a German military experiment gone horribly wrong 40 years prior! After a mixed decision, they decide to try the ritual, and the results are horrifically disastrous! They’ve successfully summoned Knucklebones, and he seems to have only one thing in mind…kill all who stand in his way! As the bodies pile up, and with the demon seemingly unstoppable, the remaining few are left with little hope for survival!
SHOULD YOU SEE IT?
I stumbled upon this film through social media, and being an avid horror fan of all genres, it definitely caught my interest! I will say that it has all the makings of what you would expect from this type of film: cheesy one-liners, ridiculous characters, gratuitous nudity, and lots and lots of gore!
The shining star in the film is the demon Knucklebones himself. He has the relentless brutality of Leatherface, the invincible likeness of Jason Voorhees, and the sadistic sense of humor of Freddy Krueger. The gory special effects are pretty impressive and creative, to say the least. One kill scene in particular definitely pays homage to an extreme kill in the Friday the 13th franchise that left me laughing and squirming at the same time!
Overall, I would say that I really enjoyed it. Just take it for what it is, grab some popcorn, and get ready for bloody good time!
