A Classic Horror Story Review (Film, 2021) #31DaysOfHorror
content warning: blood, violence against women, gore, alcohol abuse, violence against children, abortion (discussed)
A group of friends go on a road trip through a ride share service. Four of them know each other already, and the fifth is a doctor just trying to get to the same destination. Drunk driving leads to a nasty accident that leaves the crew stranded in the middle of nowhere. They start to split off to watch the van or go for help, setting up the horror of title.
A Classic Horror Story delivers what it promises. This is a violent Italian horror film with religious elements and a dark tone. There are some clever camera angles, crossfades, and perspective shots along the way. Even the more unpredictable elements of the plot stay true to how this kind of information is revealed in the ways you’d expect of this horror style. You can’t be mad at a film delivering what it promises in the title.
This is a really beautiful horror film. It leans into the blood motif, with the details of the mysterious ritual--the color of the cloaks, the barely-covered paint on the walls, the light on the house—are all a deep red. The cold open shows us one unfortunate character soaked in blood; they’ll all match the set dressing soon enough.
The violence in the film is quite shocking. One poor victim gets hobbled with a sledgehammer with all the blood and gore you might expect before having their head crushed by spikes (mercifully done with sound, not full visuals). Another is trapped in a cage with their tongue cut off. The soon-to-be-victims have no way to escape and no real place to hide. They are in the enemy’s territory and don’t know how to save themselves. No one else is around and their one real chance at escape, the van, doesn’t run anymore.
A Classic Horror Story does do a great job building suspense about the ritual/cult element. They spell out that the ritual is happening and requires human sacrifice. The paintings on the walls and evidence in the woods and attic let you know something is happening, but the why is a mystery. The more the group learns, the less they seem to actually know.
A Classic Horror Story is a scary, gory slasher film with a strong sense of style. These stories have endured for decades in cinema because they work. Fans of the genre will not be disappointed.
A Classic Horror Story is streaming on Netflix.
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