VICTOR CROWLEY (2017)

Studio:       Dark Sky Films
Director:    Adam Green
Writer:       Adam Green
Producer:  Sarah Elbert, Cory Neal, Greg Newman
Stars:     Parry Shen, Laura Ortiz, Dave Sheridan, Krystal Joy Brown, Felissa Rose, Brian Quinn, Tiffany Shepis, Chase Williamson, Katie Booth, Kelly Vrooman, Jonah Ray, Kane Hodder

Review Score:

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Summary:

Ten years after the Honey Island Swamp Massacre, a voodoo curse resurrects Victor Crowley for another brutal killing spree.

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Synopsis:     Show/Hide Spoilers

1964 – Del Howison proposes to his girlfriend Sue in Honey Island Swamp. Investigating nearby noises afterward, Del and Sue witness Victor Crowley decapitating a man named Bernard. Crowley then kills Del and dismembers Sue with a hatchet.

A voiceover recounts Victor Crowley’s origin. Born deformed from a voodoo curse put on his parents, Victor’s father kept the boy hidden in Honey Island Swamp. When a children’s Halloween prank went awry, the Crowley house caught fire. Victor’s father tried axing down the door to rescue his son, but accidentally split Victor’s head with a hatchet and killed him. Legend says the voodoo curse turned Victor into a ghost who now haunts the swamp in search of his father.

Andrew Yong, the sole survivor of the Honey Island Massacre ten years earlier, appears on his ex-wife Sabrina’s talk show to promote his ghostwritten memoir “I, Survivor.” During the uncomfortable interview, insinuations suggest Andrew might have been ‘The Bayou Butcher,’ even though he was exonerated, as no evidence of Victor Crowley’s existence was ever uncovered.

Andrew’s careless publicist Kathleen escorts him to a signing at Queen Bianca’s Spells and Books. There, Andrew has several odd encounters with enthusiastic fans as well as angry accusers.

Accompanied by her boyfriend Alex and their friend Rose, aspiring director Chloe Benjamin attends the signing. Hoping to raise financing for a feature, Chloe tells Andrew that she is shooting a mock trailer in New Orleans for a Victor Crowley-based movie called “Hatchetface.” Before Chloe can ask Andrew to participate for authenticity, Kathleen rushes Andrew away.

Kathleen tells Andrew that he has been offered a coveted interview on “Real Crime Stories,” but producers insist that he return to Honey Island Swamp for the segment. Andrew refuses. Kathleen convinces Andrew to go by claiming he will earn one million dollars.

Upon boarding the private plane with Kathleen, Andrew learns his ex-wife Sabrina will also be hosting his “Real Crime Stories” interview. In addition to two pilots, plane passengers include videographer Casey, audio technician and Casey’s boyfriend Austin, makeup artist J, and production assistant Zach.

Chloe, Alex, and Rose arrive at Honey Island Swamp to take a tour hosted by Dillon, an aspiring actor. With Chloe insisting on authenticity, Rose searches YouTube for videos of people attempting to recite the Victor Crowley voodoo curse exactly.

One of the plane’s engines suddenly explodes. As passengers panic, J gets torn in half when he is launched through a door. Zach is violently ejected through a window.

Zach’s mangled body lands in front of Chloe, Alex, Rose, and Dillon. Dillon and Rose rush toward the sound of the crashing plane while Chloe and Alex stay behind. Rose drops her phone while it is still playing videos featuring the voodoo curse.

Dillon and Rose help Andrew, Kathleen, Sabrina, and Austin out of the wrecked plane. However, Casey remains pinned underneath seats. Facing the threat of drowning from rising swamp waters, Casey reveals to Austin that she is pregnant.

Rose’s phone plays a video of Reverend Zombie reciting the voodoo curse. Swamp waters begin bubbling as Victor Crowley resurrects. Andrew rushes everyone back inside the airplane cabin when he hears Victor Crowley’s cries echoing.

Chloe and Alex stumble upon the site of Crowley’s former home when they go looking for the plane. Crowley suddenly tackles Alex and smashes his head with a hammer. Chloe flees while Crowley retrieves his hatchet.

Crowley chases Chloe to the airplane where he seemingly murders her outside for everyone to see. Crowley then disappears into the fog.

After several arguments as well as discussions about what to do, the survivors realize Chloe is still alive. Dillon earns a romantic moment with Rose for volunteering to retrieve Chloe.

A water snake swimming in the flooded cabin compels Kathleen to flee outside. Crowley scalps Austin through the door Kathleen leaves open. Austin drops dead. Crowley then severs Kathleen’s arm and shoves it up her pelvis until Kathleen’s hand comes out of her mouth. Crowley also crushes Chloe’s head with his foot. Still pinned to the cabin floor, Casey finally drowns.

Sabrina reveals that Andrew was only going to be paid $25,000 for his interview. Sabrina continues berating her ex-husband, prompting Rose to insult Sabrina in return.

Andrew wonders aloud why Victor Crowley has returned after ten years. Dillon theorizes Crowley’s resurrection is related to the ten-year anniversary of the previous massacre. Rose explains that she was playing audio of the voodoo curse through her phone.

Rose recovers Kathleen’s phone. Crowley smashes out the plane’s windows and begins sawing his way inside. Dillon proposes trying to start the second engine and pushing Crowley into it.

While Dillon starts the engine from the cockpit, the other three survivors swim outside from underneath the plane. Crowley finally breaks into the cabin to find everyone gone.

Rose insists on going back for Dillon. Instead, Andrew instructs Rose and Sabrina to run while he gets Crowley to chase him. Sabrina steals Kathleen’s phone from Rose and flees into the swamp alone. Rose hides from Crowley in a tree. Andrew returns to Dillon at the plane and retrieves a flare gun.

Sabrina hides in Dillon’s tour boat. When Kathleen’s ringtone gives her location away, Crowley kills Sabrina.

Rose runs back to the plane with Crowley in pursuit. Andrew fends off Crowley by firing a flare into his face. Rose misses Crowley with a thrown hatchet. Andrew misses Crowley with a second flare. Andrew tries tackling Crowley, but is unable to force him all the way into the engine.

Dillon tells Rose, “I would have had your babies” before tackling Crowley into the engine himself. The engine tears up both men.

Later, Channel 6 newscaster Camille Parker reports on the crash of Flight KWAJ #331 in Honey Island Swamp, identifying Andrew and Rose as the only survivors. An eyewitness reports discovering additional bodies in the swamp. Watching the broadcast at home, Maryann Dunstan pumps her shotgun in preparation for finally taking revenge against Victor Crowley.

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Review:

This kind of distinction can be important when discussing a franchise with faithful fans as well as casual ones, both of whom may wish to overlay their perspectives with a particular critic’s.  So let me start by saying, if it matters to you, I’ve only seen the first two “Hatchet” movies, and not since they originally released.  I remember enjoying both, though I don’t remember either well enough to qualify as an invested diehard or anything.  Make of that what you will then, with regard to where I’m at going into “Victor Crowley,” the franchise’s fourth film.

Familiarity with the previous three “Hatchet” movies doesn’t need to run deep, or at all, to get into “Victor Crowley’s” groove.  Essentials are explained in a montage recounting the titular terror’s origins as a disfigured boy burned by bullies and accidentally murdered by his father.  Due to a voodoo curse on the Crowley family, Victor then rose from Louisiana swamp waters to become a supernatural serial killer.

Ten years have passed since the Honey Island Swamp Massacre (“Hatchet I-III” took place in the same time frame).  Sole survivor Andrew is on a book tour promoting his ghostwritten memoir about the ordeal, but it isn’t going well.  His careless agent books Andrew on a talk show hosted by his bitter ex-wife Sabrina.  Others who still think Andrew committed the crimes continue calling him an O.J. Simpson of sorts, as authorities never found any evidence that Victor Crowley exists.

Things get worse when the promise of a payday compels Andrew to return to the crime scene for a televised interview.  With a TV crew in tow, the private plane carrying Andrew suffers sudden engine failure, bringing everyone down into the bayou.

On the ground are a narcissistic tour guide and an amateur filmmaking trio.  Plans to make a mock trailer for a Crowley-inspired horror flick turn sideways when Andrew’s plane crashes practically in front of them.  Distracted by the sudden sight of a bloody corpse, someone forgets about the phone playing YouTube videos of people reciting the old Crowley curse.  When the swamp hears those sounds, Victor Crowley rises once more to target a slew of new victims for slaying.

“Victor Crowley” makes some sense as a rebranding title since the film functions fine as a standalone story.  Nevertheless, “Hatchet 4” might make more sense since Crowley features about as infrequently as anyone, even though the movie bears his name.  Pre-title prologue aside, Crowley’s first appearance doesn’t come until almost 45 minutes in, and the breezy runtime only lasts about 75.

“Victor Crowley” remains a pretty simple affair throughout.  The buildup teases a setup of quirky personalities with a unique bit of backstory behind each one.  Most of this ends up being inconsequential, other than to inspire an “aw, not him/her!” reaction when a head gets severed.  Yet the lighthearted drama and goofy bickering that introduces everyone makes for some of the better-developed red shirts seen in a slasher.

Then the film flips an accelerator switch as its final half-hour becomes a pure celebration of outrageously over-the-top kills and the splatter-filled practical FX that come with.  Gory dismemberments with medically impossible blood geysers drench every other scene, which has always been a signature of the series.  Also as always, a snarky tongue touches both cheeks as a reminder to not take copious carnage too seriously.

“Hatchet” has always had humor, though “Victor Crowley” seems sillier than what I remember.  Comedic moments play more like sidebar skits than something strictly situational to onscreen action.  One such overlong bit features writer/director Adam Green cameoing as a pilot who repeatedly drones “uhhh…” when making announcements.  Sure, it’s his film and he should have fun.  But non-sequitur scenes that appeal primarily to a small segment of viewers don’t serve broader interests of moving a story’s momentum.

Don’t get me wrong, I love that Jonah Ray’s character takes his name from Dark Delicacies proprietor Del Howison.  But how many people outside of L.A. get the gag?  Overall entertainment value doesn’t suffer from not being in the know.  It’s just that there are a number of nods like this whose bonus layers can only be peeled back by a select few.

Green similarly packs in references to his episodic series “Holliston,” his dog Arwen, his industry friends, etc.  There are probably plenty of other ArieScope in-jokes included that I’m not privy to, but should provide Adam Green devotees with a satisfying Easter egg hunt at any rate.

I realize that Green makes his movies expressly for his fans, which is a chief reason why they appreciate him so much.  But he might be missing opportunities to expand his reach by making movies that look too odd to inadvertently alienated outsiders.

“Victor Crowley’s” comedy also fluctuates at inconsistent levels.  For instance, actor Dave Sheridan tunes tour guide Dillon to a fully cartoonish frequency while Chase Williamson characteristically keeps jokey dialogue subdued inside his sleepy slacker sarcasm.  I’m sure Adam Green intentionally directed everyone to let loose with the way they naturally behave best.  Except the disparity in how everyone differently balances horror and humor creates a wobbly composition of the two.

An uncomplicated plot takes “Victor Crowley” down a straightforward path.  At times, scope feels narrowed because slaughter remains contained to the crashed plane’s interior or its immediate vicinity.  Personally, I prefer the hectic hullabaloo of screaming people running from cabin to cabin, room to room, set to set.  Outcomes stay the same no matter what, yet there’s a flow to that kind of frenzy that can’t be captured when one cramped location confines the crux of the action.

Newcomers may make it to the sudden smash cut conclusion and merely think, “eh, I’ve seen better, but I’ve seen worse too.”  Hatchet Army enlistees on the hand, will hungrily eat up the splatter and the silliness, and have an anxious appetite for another serving of Crowley on a future menu.  Whatever side of the blade one uses to slice it, “Victor Crowley” still meets the standard for old-school slasher mayhem with a self-aware streak of black humor.

NOTE: There is a mid-credits scene.

Review Score:  60

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