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| Images Courtesy of Cranked Up Pictures |
The third and final installment in Quinn Armstrong's
Fresh Hell anthology, is without a doubt the most ambitious. Filmed at
the same cabin used for the first two entries, Dead Teenagers takes
the chamber piece concept and runs it through a meta-blender to produce a
Sartre-esque deconstruction of not only the slasher genre, but of filmmaking as
well. Featuring a committed ensemble performance, pristine visuals, and a
unique approach to tried-and-true subject matter, this is one of the more
unique horror films of the year thus far.
Five teenagers decide to spend time at a cabin in the woods, not realizing that there is a crazed killer roaming the area. After an unexpected turn, the teens realize; through strange clues and bizarre occurrences, that they are trapped at the cabin, unable to ever leave. Armstrong’s script is bifurcated into two realities, the surface level slasher and a meta level commentary. While the slasher tropes are expected, they enhance what follows as the characters take different approaches to the cinematic limbo in which they have been imprisoned. The idea of what a character knows and does not know is what drives the narrative forward. Faith, whether in divine purpose, a script, or a friendship is what defines these characters.
Jordan Myers stars as Mandy, one of the most interesting characters. Her
journey from cliche' breakup to antihero is fascinating to watch, as Myers
contends with existential terrors blended with betrayal and heartbreak. Her
approach to escaping the conundrum has an almost Groundhog Day feel,
which was with intent. She is mirrored by Maya Jeyam who delivers a
brutally pragmatic turn that subverts yet another expectation. How far will a hero go to continue being a
hero? Finally, Beau Roberts (A detective in The Exorcism of Saint
Patrick) has a hilarious cameo as a police officer that has to be seen to be
believed.
The final piece is Sydney Lawson's cinematography. The imagery changes
throughout the three acts as the promise of youth gives way to creeping
paranoia before ultimately surrendering to providence. This is reflected
not only in colors, but in angles, simulating the way the characters meet their
various fates. The final yield is an adequate horror idea that mostly sticks
the landing.
Now playing in select theaters and available for digital
rental, Dead Teenagers is easily the strongest of Armstrong's
trilogy. Impressive ideas give way to stronger questions and concepts
that an astute viewer will be unable to avoid. If you are interested in a
unique horror film that approaches its central concept with bleak, unrelenting
horror, this will not disappoint.
-Kyle Jonathan