Trash Fire

Richard Bates Jr's first film "Excision" was a film that stuck with me for a long time after I watched it, it was very unique and incredibly bizarre. So when I saw that Bates had a new movie coming out I was pretty excited to see what else he was capable of. While not nearly as memorable as Bates' first film, "Trash Fire" does have a bit of dark charm and was an interesting experience.

The first thing that really stuck out to me in this film is the fact that just about all the characters are unlikable, everyone is somewhat of a jerk and everyone is pretty judgmental/critical of others. This wasn't a bad thing though, it actually worked pretty well and went smoothly with the premise of the film. As unlikable as all the characters were they were also very interesting, and were the best part of the movie in my opinion. Our main character "Owen" (played but Adrian Grenier) is mean and dismissive to just about everyone he meets and even when he's trying to be nice he still comes off as a dope. But once we learn more about Owen's family it becomes clear why he is the way he is, and that he may actually be one of the more normal people in his family.

The story was alright, although it had a bit of a "Lifetime Movie" feel, but the dialogue really sets it apart from the overly simplified movies that come on that network. The conversations that the characters have throughout the film are actually pretty engaging, something you rarely ever see in a horror film. It's a good thing that the dialogue was well done because there is a lot of it, people who are not fans of dialogue heavy films will definitely be put off for the majority of this. I thought it worked though, and I found myself intrigued to see what the characters would say to each other next.

Another thing that I think is important to point out is that this definitely isn't a traditional horror movie, in fact I've seen a lot of people make the claim that this isn't a horror movie at all. I would disagree though, while there isn't a masked mad man running around or a spooky ghost haunting people, "Trash Fire" does have a overall tone of horror and the final scene definitely creeped me out and left me with an uneasy feeling. It was refreshing to see the genre approached in a different kind of way.

This won't be for everybody, but I enjoyed it, like "Excision" it was fairly odd and a little quirky. Worth checking out for people who don't mind a lot of dialogue and a bit of a slow pace.

Trash Fire is such a remarkably odd film, thriller? romance? comedy? horror? It truly does have it all.

Starring Adrian "Entourage" Grenier it tells the story of a young couple struggling to stay together, partially because the guy is a bit of an a-hole (Yet oddly I related to him more than I've related to a character in years). In an effort to build bridges they travel to spend time with members of his highly religious family, but things take a dangerous turn.

Notably the performances are fantastic especially Grenier, the script is first class and some of the best writing I've seen in months and the concept behind the movie is solid (Though simple).

It's a tale about relationships, redemption and the lunacy of religion. It still surprises me how 80% of the US identifies as Christian yet the vast majority of the time when religion is presented as subject matter in movies it's shown as either dangerous or "Wacky". This always pleases me and demonstrates a firm grasp of reality by those who write these things. The inclusion of Christianity into the tale which evolves into an antagonist is fantastic and really helps the film no end.

Trash Fire though very oddly constructed is a very enjoyable film hampered only by the questionable finale. I don't think the ending is bad, but had it been better so too would my rating.

Regardless this is very enjoyable stuff for those seeking something that little bit different.

The Good:

Some incredible writing

Great characters

The Bad:

Weirdly put together film

Ending could have been better

It's hard to rate and review this film. It wants to be a dark comedy, but then tries to be something much more serious and emotionally disturbing as it dives into horror, yet springs back again here and there... and even some of the horror elements are quite funny.

I'd have to say this is much more of a dark comedy drama with a lot of tension and negativity. This is not a Romance/Comedy or even your typical Horror comedy. The comedy is much more situational and mostly stems from the interaction of emotionally disturbed people who loathe one another.

That said, this wasn't a B-rate production. There are some very talented actors with very believable characters and some enjoyable moments with the dark humor. It's quite twisted, but well-made. So, I give it a 6 because it never bored me and though I cringed a lot, it was enjoyable enough to deserve a positive rating. However, I doubt it has much replay value.

I wouldn't recommend this as a must-see to anyone, but if you love dark comedies and/or twisted horror and have some time to kill, I think this would entertain.

When Owen is forced to confront the past he has been running from his whole adult life, he and his girlfriend, Isabel, become entangled in a horrifying web of lies, deceit and murder.

Can we talk about Fionnula Flanagan as Violet and AnnaLynne McCord as Pearl? I had never heard of Flanagan until a year ago, and she has been knocking it out of the park with her genre performances. So great to have her on board. And McCord, wow. One genre hit after another. I don't know how "we" got her into our camp, but it's great to have her.

The blend of horror and comedy is great, too! The comedy is dark, dark humor which works well. The horror aspect is really more about building tension. This is not a jump scare or gore-filled movie. And that suits me just fine.

Or was that mad? Whichever one it is, there is not always a clear or just one answer to that question. The movie is not really here to make friends either. A. Granier is really someone who is not very likable most of the time. But can you blame him? That's after you see where he came from or what he had to "suffer" (some call it childhood).

Family matters ... sometimes it matters too much. So much that you lose sight of other things. And both our male and female lead can attest to that. But while it is not about winning any popularity or beauty contest it also does not pull any punches. It may get ugly, but it is coherent for the world it portrays. Not an easy watch and not for the squeamish either. But different in a good (read: bad) way!