How to Kill Monsters

This movie is kind of a hidden gem.

The movie opens on what seems to be the end of a horror movie, with the Final Girl surviving whatever they were up against. The action quickly switches to a British Police station, and involves two constables, a drunken bachelorette party, and other assorted characters dealing with Lovecraftian monsters running amok.

Then the movie pulls a major plot twist that frankly, I just didn't see coming.

It's a nice little mix of American-style horror and British style humor.

Director Stewart Sparkle's 2023 feature film is a kind of follow up to his earlier film 'Book of Monsters'. On Halloween Jamie (Lyndsey Crane) is found in a cabin in the woods with a chainsaw, covered in blood, and with her friends chopped up all around her. Taken to a police station for questioning she claims it was a monster from the beyond wot done it. But then - with police laughter still ringing in her ears - strange things start happening. Written by Sparkle with Paul Butler this is a gore filled supernatural monster horror comedy, which fortunately doesn't take itself too seriously. Hokum, with some rather annoying cops - one of them played by Johnny Vivash (him again!).

Watched at the film premier at FrightFest 2023 and the film was brilliant, plenty of comedy and horror with more than a splash of blood and guts. ;-)

The is mainly based in the Police station where they think Jamie has killed a load of people in a cabin in the woods.

She is then put into the cells with an assortment of characters, mainly a hen party who are always taking the micky of the officers.

From that point, it is where things get a little freaky and the monsters start appearing and the blood and guts starts flowing.

Some brilliant old school special FX throughout the film.

A brilliant cast too ;-)

The costumes are freakishly bad, the acting weak, the plot a watered down rehash, but there's enough good jokes in the same vein of Sean of the Dead to be worth watching this movie.

If the movie had abandoned efforts to be a horror movie and just stuck with the comedy this would have been a great movie actually. It's when it pretends to be serious that you start to yawn and thinking the parts worth watching are over then comes another batch of laughs, but only enough to keep you going to the end.

So it's well worth watching, especially if you liked Shaun of the dead. As a horror movie keep on going. This is a T as in trash it not even worthy of being a B or C flick in terms of horror.

Stewart Sparke is one to watch. Mixes British humour into American style comedy so well.

Made on a small budget this looks pretty cool, it lightheartedly homages the type of movies I grew up loving in the 80s and 90s without making fun of them. Some fantastic practical effects and cool puppets. Very little c.g.i used but what is also manages to look retro so doesn't look out of place.

Bonkers plot, fun characters and a likeable cast who are enjoying themselves.

A fantastic Friday night Movie.

Perfect follow up (but not sequel) to Book of Monsters, another movie all B-movie/horror fans need to check out.

I'm really looking forward to what he does next.

Watched at the Dead and Sudburied horror marathon.