By Mark Hockley
Written by and starring Ben Getz and Dylan Eshbaugh, Gothic Slayers has two friends stumbling onto the nefarious plans of a satanic cult.
The biggest problem is that this has been billed as a comedy horror movie, but it is never funny and has no horror or scares whatsoever. On the plus side, Getz and Eshbaugh play their pair of slacker heroes with sincerity, so they are not dislikable, but the overall tone just never works.
Bizarrely, this 90s style romp feels like a children’s TV show, particularly when the so-called horror elements are introduced. Indeed, the gothic villains come across as childish, which may well have been the intent. Obviously, the writers and director believed what they were doing was very amusing. The two main characters are intentionally dense and played for maximum stupidity, but neither is worth investing in and this proves to be a fatal flaw.
Gothic Slayers is entirely bloodless and has no gore, while the sparse FX featured are very basic. The movie appears to have been made for a very young audience and this makes any kind of horror tag redundant.
The inclusion of some retro computer graphic sequences may resonate with those who enjoy nostalgia. In terms of story though, the stakes feel incredibly low and any attempt at developing tension or atmosphere are woefully unsuccessful. All that’s left is the juvenile brand of humour, so unless that’s what you’re looking for, I’m not sure this will have much general appeal.
Gothic Slayers is released on VOD platforms from 4 March 2025.
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