What if I told you that there was an indie horror film that attempts to merge the ideas of some of the best VHS horror classics into a Trick ‘r Treat?
What if I told you that they failed?
Whoa, don’t go…
…it’s actually a lot of fun.
***DISCLAIMER***
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***DISCLAIMER*** !!!
This is a micro-budget indie film. If you do not enjoy ultra-low budget schlock, this is not for you.
***DISCLAIMER***
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***DISCLAIMER*** !!!
Micro-budget horror is one of the most exciting sub-genres. Yes, they are often terrible and make me question my choices in life, but sometimes you get a pleasant surprise.
Bunker Heights is a 2026 Horror-Comedy brought to us by writer/director Drew Fortier and writer Joe Placzkowski. You do not know them or their work, and if you say you do—I disagree. Both cut their teeth in the music video scene from what I can tell. Needless to say I went in without any bias (other than the normal mental illness of which regular readers are familiar).
The film focuses on the town of Bunker Heights as it experiences one of the worst weeks of its wretched existence. The mayor was assassinated, the cops went on strike, and an active serial killer is killing indiscriminately and that’s just Monday. We follow the antics of multiple parties as they experience the hellish shenanigans. There’s Detective-Captain-Acting-Captain Derek Tucker, who— the highest ranking officer left on the force after a citywide strike takes effect thrusting him into multiple unwinnable situations which all leave a trail of gory circumstances. Then there’s the newswoman riding Tucker’s ass, Julia Stevenson, who will do anything to get her story, no matter who dies to make it happen and many, many more. As social tensions reach fever pitch, the various shady character of Bunker Heights are faced with a new crisis: Sewer Dwelling mutants with a taste for blood. Will the dwindling population of this cesspool of a town be able to keep their heads above the tide? Or will they be the load swirling down the drains of Bunker Heights?
This movie is a mess.
Hannah Fierman is one of the few who can pull off a LEGO-Bob wig.
There are too many characters, too many set-pieces, and too many subplots. However, there is brilliance there. The script is a rambling mess, but it got some genuine laughs out of me and there are some fire one-liners. You can also feel the energy of the filmmakers. There are a bunch of references to classic horror films and filmmakers.
It doesn’t help that many of the acting roles were filled with community theater actors (my assumption, not fact), but it’s not all doom and gloom. There are some standout actors involved.
Hannah Fierman, renowned siren / cult horror icon, is the star of the show. She’s a site favorite, and a genuinely nice person. I’ve been a fan since I saw her in the original V/H/S. She is a workhorse actress who can play the love interest or the monster, sometimes both in the case of Filthy Favorite: Siren.
Chaney Morrow turns in another reliable performance. You don’t recognize the name, but he’s one of those character actors who always performs above his pay grade. He’s got incredible charisma and his non-verbals are off the charts. I expect to see him in more and more projects as the guy if a gifted performer. The scenes with he and Fierman are crazy, because their acting is so far beyond the rest of the cast that it feels like a different movie. He should have played the lead role of Derek Tucker, it would have been a massive improvement.
That’s not to say writer/director/star Drew Fortier was terrible, but the continuity of his character’s behavior and ticks was a rollercoaster that lead to very little emotional investment from myself or my viewing partner. A more seasoned actor would have reined in the character.
Yes, Violent J is in the film. He’s the king of the juggalos, and I hope the juggalo army supports this film en mass.
Because I think this group has talent, and had they sought to make a good movie, they would have.
Larry Cohen would be proud.
Practical Effects FTW
It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that I didn’t expect much from the practical effects. I never do when watching micro-budget horror. But I can say I was pleasantly surprised with how good the creature effects where here. That’s not to say all the SFX was great, far from it, but the CHUD-like monsters look awesome. With a better lighting budget they’d have been legitimately scary.
I get the feeling that this movie was a bunch of people coming together to make an homage to schlock like C.H.U.D., The Stuff and Dead Heat. And as a fan of those movies, I can say the somewhat succeeded. They tried to make a schlock version of Trick ‘r Treat, but that was the biggest failure. They just tried to do too much.
The focus is so spread, the first half of the film feels like an aimless mess. However, once it reaches the halfway point, it narrows the focus and the film get interesting.
If you like low-budget horror, I’d say give this a chance.
This is a movie to watch with a group of equally faded friends for a laugh. It’s one of the cult-horror films where its okay to throw popcorn at the screen, to laugh, to ask WTF.
It’s also a great film to put on in the background of a party that’ll have people asking questions of which there will be no answers.
I rented the film on Amazon Prime, but it is available for rent or purchase on all digital platforms.
