PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Of all the horror genres, horror comedy is the most difficult one to pull off successfully. A good horror comedy needs to be able to seamlessly shift between dread to laughter at the right moments. In the case of director Su Kang’s (Han from Fast X) new film, Shaky Shivers, these shifts just don’t work.
Synopsis:
After finding herself bitten by a mysterious animal, Lucy becomes convinced that she will transform into a fearsome werewolf. Joined by her best friend, Karen, the two embark on a wild adventure filled with magic and mayhem, as they look to do battle with a throat-slashing creature ripped right out of an 80s horror movie.
Best friends Lucy (Brooke Markham: In the Dark TV series) and Karen (VyVy Nguyen: Dawning 2022) work together at an ice cream shop, and neither one has plans for the future. Suddenly one spooky night, Lucy gets bitten by a strange customer. She believes that she will turn into a werewolf during a full moon (how she came to this conclusion is never really explained). The pair drive to an abandoned camp, and Karen is prepared to shoot Lucy if she does transform. With a binder of spells straight out of a D&D game, hijinks ensue.
Let’s start out with what worked in Shaky Shivers: The two leads are delightful. Markham and Nguyen have a fun and natural chemistry that make them seem like best friends. I’d absolutely watch them in another film together. Another strong feature are the practical effects, which are incredible on what looks like a small budget. The zombie makeup in particular is fresh and original.
But there are some issues. Even at a run time of just under 80 minutes, the film still feels like it drags. Most of the movie is just the girls bickering and telling the same jokes, and many of the gags just fall flat. But the true problem with Shaky Shivers is that it doesn’t seem to know who its audience is. If some of the violence and language was toned down, it would make a pretty fun family movie. Turn up the violence and take things more seriously, and it would be a decent slasher movie. But as it stands, it’s a film just searching for an audience. And it’s a shame, because the two leads deserve better. I’d give this one a pass.
Shaky Shivers will release on Screambox and on Digital October 16, 2023.
