This tasty morsel of all things vile is a cool slasher movie that pushes envelopes at each and every turn. As one of the most disturbing bits of all out spine crushing gore fills the screen, the story is a tainted cinematic entry that was part of the 8 Films To Die For upon its release. Like a trashy tribute to old school '80s horror that throws incest, serial killers, and ax wielding freaks at the screen, Bastard is riddled with genre excellence until its third act goes sideways. While the story is replete with gaping holes, it's still a fun project that deserved way more notice.
Kicking right off with sheer brutality that's rendered by a hitchhiking couple that seems like they're a modernized satirical spin on Mickey and Mallory Knox, Bastard is loaded to the gills with unexpected nastiness that's perversely sexy and intriguing in its total disregard for human life. Using all practical effects work and a pulsing synth score, genre nuts will ultimately fall in love with this strange work of demented art. Bastard plays by all the rules but then breaks them in steady succession. The first couple acts really seem like they're going to build a new mythology that could be turned into a franchise, but then something happens and it loses some of its luster. Still though, I enjoyed it.
Featuring head splitting nastiness, stomach slicing carnage, forest stalking slashers, and characters that are all ultimately jacked in the head, this ninety minute feature made me feel like taking a shower. Great horror films should make you feel connected with the characters and should also make you feel some sense of loss at their untimely deaths. With Bastard, all the characters are unlikable because they're all sleazy in their own right. Strangely enough, it's almost enjoyable watching some of these people die. Why? Because they deserve it.
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| I'm covered in blood. We're going to die. Let's make babies. |
If you're one of those people that likes to dig deep into the horror archives looking for something new that might pique your interest, Bastard might be that movie. It's gross. It's nasty. And the kills are amazing. Watch it knowing that the end gets a little stupid. No matter what, this is an escapist bit of the slasher sub-genre entertainment that connects most of the dots.
Score
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