Last Chance Hotel

I'll start off by saying I'm a fan Grim Reaper lore. This was not what I was expecting.

Reminds me of a movie I saw in the 19 late 80s or early 90s called SHOCKER. Someone on death row survives electrocution and comes back to... Get this... Shock people to death who did him wrong.

This was better than that monstrosity and is better then most low-budget movies. It was worth my time and I watched it all the way through, something I oftentimes can't do when watching horror movies.

If you like B horror flicks, and are willing to except a lot of plot holes ... It's worth checking out . Had I paid to see it in a theater... I would have been pi$$ed.

Went into this expecting very little but was quite surprised to discover that it was far less gory and way more interesting than initially suspected. I think the advertising here actually didn't do justice to the film because it comes off as a cliché slasher romp from the marketing but it's actually a twisty crime thriller with some supernatural shades. The cast really holds it together nicely, creating an ensemble of refreshingly flawed characters who are playing a dangerous game of survival of the fittest. Genre vets Trejo and Jones are always welcome additions to this kind of material, and they do as good a job as can be expected. Overall "Reaper" isn't quite what was expected, in a good way.

Firstly the box art is completely misleading, everything there is basically wrong as neither Trejo or Jones end up being the Reaper and the old cabin just isn't in the film so it's probably just a stock photo. Probably not the actresses fault but the main female character was cringie and awkward, CONSTANTLY pretending to be sexual towards creepy old men for some reason. You'd think the scene is over and then she'd get real close, whisper something in the sleazy guys ear move back and then do it again... And again... And again. Supporting cast Danny Trejo and Vinnie Jones do their best to try make something of the movie but in the end its an extremely disappointing 84 minutes of boredom.

Danny Trejo is an actor I have long admired. From his smaller roles in masterpieces like "Heat" to his long-deserved go as a leading man in the campy but fun "Machete" films, he is a screen presence who is simultaneously intimidating but also somewhat relatable. Usually, he is relegated to playing a thug, criminal, ex-con, or just general bad guy, and rarely is he given the chance to pull in the audience emotionally. Rather, he's just the comic relief or the action set- piece.

That's why I was pleasantly surprised when I came across "Reaper" the other day and found that while he is still playing someone on the bad side of the law (a drug dealer, in this case), he is actually given the opportunity to be a compassionate, sympathetic, and ultimately heroic leading man. Hooray! Here, he is the only one in a band of criminals who are being terrorized by a supernatural force at a creepy motel is who not just self-motivated but also trying to help out the other two young baddies as well. He's the only one who doesn't try to take advantage of the main hitchhiker, and he gets a beautiful scene where he relays to her his regrets about his lost marriage, the child who doesn't see him anymore, and the life he wishes he had a chance to relive. He offers the most substance in a film which is otherwise lacking in it, and he delivers easily one of the best performances of his career.

That makes "Reaper" a MUST SEE for any true Trejo fan. The film itself starts off rocky and takes too long to introduce Trejo himself, but once it does, it gets rolling pretty nicely. The other two veteran actors, Jones and Busey, are in barely there roles but give some credit to the two young actors (hitchhiker and drug mule) for holding their own and helping Trejo carry the film.

While the film is far from perfect, it finally affords Trejo a role he deserves. As for the titular "reaper" monster, forget about him! The real force here is Trejo, and "Reaper" is his show.

There seem to be a lot of false reviews for this movie. I enjoy b-grade movies of all types, especially horror movies. I have watched and enjoyed countless B-grade movies that most other people find appalling. I even enjoy watching Danny Trejo strut his stuff in many cheesy movies.

Unfortunately, I did not enjoy this movie at all and would struggle to even call it a B-grade movie. It falls firmly into the C-grade pile of movies which have no redeeming qualities and are not even in the so bad it's funny category. I am very disappointed that I was fooled into watching this movie and wasting time that could have been spent watching something else. For some reason, I kept watching the movie hoping something good would happen, but it just got worse.

Unless you are associated with the making of this film, you will not like it. Let me just reiterate that - YOU WILL NOT ENJOY THIS MOVIE. You've been warned.