A few years ago, horror director Radford (Arthur Roberts) as well as the other inmates and staff disappeared from the psychiatric ward where he was secured after some (never explained to us) murders during the making of his last film, "The Darkness Beneath". All that was left were some "arcane symbols" (which won't be of any import later on) and lots and lots of blood.
The police has never been able to explain any of this nor find any trace of the disappeared (don't worry, we won't either). When a small cinema for some reason (nope, no details forthcoming in this movie) acquires a print of the film for a midnight showing, the handful of people in attendance soon have to fight off the movie killer who has the ability to step out of his film for a little bloodbath or two. Fortunately, "the cop who couldn't forget what he saw" and "the psychiatrist who couldn't forget what he saw, either" are there to help. Too bad they're both played by washed-up soap opera actors, and we all know how long those survive.
So in the end, everything will depend on designated Final Girl Bridget (Rebekah Brandes) and her stupid and annoying kid brother Timmy (Justin Baric).
I know that I am always moaning about the lack of ambition of contemporary American horror films, but what else am I to do with films like this that waste the potential of some of their basic concepts for just another retread of the 80s Supernatural Slasher formula.
What could be a playful romp through horror history ends up a mildly diverting slasher-by-the-numbers thanks to the inability or unwillingness of anyone in the production to think the things he does through. A little more context for the killer, some kind of reason for the supernatural would already go a long way to make the film better. I'd even be satisfied with the old "Radford was a satanist and was opening a gate to hell through his film" explanation - as it is, the film loses much potential impact and just looks lazy.
As lazy as the "homage" moments of the film are. Radford's film inside the film is obviously based on grimy 70s horror like Texas Chainsaw Massacre - so why is it in black and white? And does the black and white really have to look so damn fake? And why bother making it black and white when everything stays coloured when our heroine is dragged into the film? And while I'm asking questions, why make Radford's film a 70s horror piece when the rest of your film just screams 80s?
I was also bothered by the waste of good ideas when it came to characterization. As soon as something was done that made a character like the biker guy a little less cliched, he was killed off. And (again with the questions) why bother insinuating that our Final Girl is especially fit for that role because she survived abuse by her father when you then proceed not only to not make enough out of it, but also waste the promise of the character on the type of stupid, useless horror movie ending nobody except directors and producers likes?
Having said all this, I can't call Midnight Movie bad. It's technically competent enough, the acting's alright, the pacing works etc. It's just that I can see the potential for something excellent wasted in another 80s retread and I am quite tired of it. Well, at least it's a lot more watchable than Hatchet.
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