PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Bad Apples is the latest film from Bryan Coyne and Uncork’d Entertainment. Starring Andrea Collins (The Hospital), Brea Grant (A Ghost Story, Dexter), Graham Skipper (Beyond the Gates) and Danielle Riverman (Infernal), Bad Apples was released on VOD February 6th.
Bad Apples tells the story of these two “bad apples” who decide to play some tricks on a young couple that is not participating in Halloween. Eventually, the night gets increasingly more dangerous and the pair leaves a trail of destruction in their wake.
So, how did the film hold up? Honestly, not well. The trailer was promising and it started out with an intense murder scene, but from there it was all downhill. Bad Apples falls into the same category as films such as The Strangers or Them (Ils). Unlike those, however, Bad Apples never manages to build up any sort of actual fear or suspense. The idea that these troubled teens are terrorizing random suburbanites is a good one, but the execution falls flat. The violence in the film reminds me of a bad movie from the ’80s. You rarely see any blows land, and when you do, it looks painfully fake. While yes, there are some good moments with special effects and gore (I’m looking at you, human pumpkin), it doesn’t do enough to make this feel like anything more than just a cheesy, low budget slasher.
The acting was rough, as well. Brea Grant plays the young woman who is being hunted by the twins. Her character is brooding and mopey, but the performance just comes off as disinterested. I wanted to like her performance, but it felt flat and like she would have rather done something else. Richard Riehle’s performance was easily my least favorite part of the film, and that is saying something. I’m fine with over the top, obnoxious characters. Most films have them, and they serve their purpose well. Look at Union Furnace’s Jim From Kentucky (Lyle Kanouse). Jim From Kentucky annoyed the hell out me, and when he finally met his demise, I was thrilled. It felt like a success. Unfortunately for Riehle, his performance annoyed me and his death did not make up for that. This goes back to my previous point; the violence felt cheap and didn’t feel like there was any sort of payoff involved.
I want to say some good things about Bad Apples, I really do. There were some good ideas behind the film, but nothing quite landed. The premise is one that has worked before, and we’ve seen it time and time again. A person is home alone and is being terrorized by strangers. Simple enough. It’s a scary thought, and a legitimate fear that many people have. I do want to give credit to Bryan Coyne for putting a unique spin on that.
I was not a fan of Bad Apples. There’s no gentle way of saying that. It missed the mark on a bunch of things, and ultimately just felt like a cheap, cheesy horror film with shoddy performances. The idea was interesting and is a proven sub-genre of horror. I just wish that the subject was good enough to outshine all of the bad in the film.
Check out the trailer below and let us know what you think. Will you be checking out Uncork’d Entertainment’s latest Halloween horror film?
