Laid to Rest (2009)
Directed
by Robert Green Hall
Starring
Bobbi Sue Luther, Kevin Gage, Sean Whalen, Johnathan Schaech, Thomas Dekker,
Nick Principe, Richard Lynch, Lena Headey
A
girl wakes up inside a coffin in a funeral home with no memory of who she is
and how she got there. When she gets out of the coffin the girl is chased by a
man wearing a camera on his shoulder and a chrome skull mask. As she evades
this mysterious killer, she meets some locals who are willing to help her
escape the madman. Over the course of the night, the girl and her new friends
rely on each other to figure out who she is and avoid grisly deaths.
Laid to Rest
is a film from writer/director Robert Green Hall, a man more known for his
makeup effects work than writing or directing. He does well though, delivering
a brutal but fun little gore fest. The story is light, opting to focus more on
the action and horror set pieces. This isn’t a big problem as the characters are
also pretty thin. The movie only really exists to show off some gore and
deliver a compellingly unrelenting villain.
The
antagonist, Chromeskull, was clearly made to be the face of a franchise. The design
is interesting, favoring stark black clothes except for a shoulder mounted
camera and a shiny chrome skull mask. Hall gave Chromeskull the most under used
supernatural power in all of slasher movies: money. The guy is filthy rich,
with gear and support services that rival most private security firms. The fact
that he chases the girl and other potential victims for sport makes the
character sadistic and interesting.
The
gore effects are grisly and terrific. There are some vivid instances of
stabbings, slashings, dismemberment, and blood gushing. There’s even a scene
where a man’s head is filled with tire sealant. Putting the one creative kill aside,
Laid to Rest is very much about the
visceral shock of seeing carnage and the movie delivers in spades.
Bobbi
Sue Luther has some nice moments, but her performance isn’t that great. There are
times where she truly does look lost and terrified. The rest of the time she’s
just screaming and running. The supporting cast does a nice job filling out
their characters and making for some fun scenes. No standouts, but no
detriments either.
Laid to Rest
is dark, brutal, and fun. It providers a somewhat bleaker experience than what
you might expect from a slasher movie, but still manages to be entertaining. It’s
lacking in smarts but totally game to for a messy good time.
7 out of 10
