Vicious Fun (2020)

I had fun with this one. 

I get that meta horror comedies have oversaturated the marketplace, but I admittedly dig them so I'd be lying if I said "Vicious Fun" wasn't a fun time to me. However, Ari Millen is obviously mimicking Matthew McConaughey, or sure seemed like it to me. His hair was slicked back like Matthew's from "Texas Chainsaw Massacre: The Next Generation". And his mannerisms and way he talks also just seem to be aping Matthew. Anyway, why I liked this so much was because of Amber Goldfarb, as a serial killer of serial killers, though how she works like some badass assassin might be seen as a Mary Sue, since she's practically without any flaws. She certainly has the film's lead, Joel (Evan Marsh), realizing the "error of his ways" after following Bob (Millen) to a bar to see if he can come up with something on his recorder that is inflammatory so he could report back to his roommate, hopefully proving to her (his crush) how wrong a choice he is as a potential suitor.

Bob is actually a serial killer who uses a number of alias (real estate agent, detective, name your occupation among many cars in his suitcase), with a high IQ, cleverly able to dupe women he picks up, later killing them. So Joel and Carrie (Goldfarb) must try and defend themselves against Bob and a number of other serial killers who congregated for a self-help gathering at a bar. Joel had passed out after a large round of drinks, awakening in the bar with the killers all sitting around to discuss their methods! Julien Richings should never have to worry for a job as long as the horror genre has openings; he's a methodical, scientific type who finds ways to prolong the death of his victims...and he also wears clownface. Hideo (Baek) is a chef who also loves to carve and eat human victims. Big Mike (Maillet; I know him from his time in WWF pro wrestling entertainment) loves to wear a welder's helmet, swing a machete, and hunt down sorority girls at summer camp [naturally!]. Zachary (comedian scene-stealing David Koechner) worked for the government to develop kill squads. Over the night, Joel actually develops a friendship with Carrie, while she takes out each killer until only Bob remains. The hospital at the end is used yet again as a conclusion for the killer to get one last shot at the heroes.

Joel pulling the fire alarm does eventually bring the police, but the three detectives at the department are presented as the dumbest, most clueless numbskull dipshits ever to disgrace any precinct. Eventually three remaining killers, Bob, Mike, and Fritz (Richings) dispatch the cops (who make it easy on them because they are idiots) looking to get at Joel and Carrie. At least Sarah knows Joel kept her from dying at the hands of Bob.

The graphic violence is not kept in check. Knives into arms, hatchets into heads, machetes hacking off limbs, strangulation by intestines, hypo drug needle jabs, pencils through the ears, switchblade into the neck emerging in the open mouth, and plentiful scalpel stabs are all in order. Particularly gruesome is Zachary's demise as serial killers take turns on him. 3.5/5

From my Letterboxd review:

I get that meta horror comedies have oversaturated the marketplace, but I admittedly dig them so I'd be lying if I said "Vicious Fun" wasn't a fun time to me. I get that Carrie has no flaws and seems to kick everybody's ass, probably irritating those who are not fans of the Mary Sue cliche, but since I find her incredibly sexy, I can't help but dig her. And Joel is just a nervy, out-of-his-depth journo-knock-it-all deservedly in over his head but fortunately in a room full of serial killers with Carrie, there to protect him. That Carrie easily dispatches Big Mike with no issue might be seen as absolutely ridiculous, but the film goes out of its way to make sure we know she has been doing this for a long time. Bob is basically Matthew McConaughey in mannerisms, speech, and hairstyle. As far as I'm concerned Julien Richings will never have to worry about work as long as the horror genre exists. Though his clownface "drug them so he can kill them slow" scientific serial killer might be seen as yet another stereotype. Koechner seems to easily find these roles as a very opinionated, always-butting-in, obnoxious rube who eventually gets knocked off because he won't shut the fuck up.

Yep, the 80s aesthetic is here as is the score. As long as there is a fanbase for it, these films will keep getting made. I realize I'm one of those dingdongs keeping the films going. I don't apologize.

Great gore, though. My favorite scene has Bob pulling out his own eyeball. Limbs are hacked off, hatchets slam into heads, plenty of stabby-stab, and needle-drug neck jabs.

The decision to go for the "horror film fan writer" as a lead character, finding himself in a real life gorefest, whose taxi cab killer idea gets stolen from a slasher director I could see might be annoying to some who watch "Vicious Fun". It didn't really bother me. I guess I'm just an easy lay.