PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Some of the greatest thrillers of all time have managed to mix a homicidal maniac out for blood with a hardened police force who will stop at nothing to catch the killer. Such is the case in Torture The Flesh, the newest indie whodunit from Cheevies Films. Torture The Flesh is part murder mystery and part procedural thriller, as the clock ticks and bodies begin to pile up.
Torture The Flesh is written by Derek Braasch (Slay Ride 2021) and Anthony Cooney (Leaf Blower Massacre 2 2017) and directed by Braasch. It stars Joe DeBartolo (A Hard Place 2024) as Detective Stevens and Darin Bowman (Doomsday Stories 2023) as Daniel. Stevens is a cop known for his hard-nosed attitude and sleazy dealings, and Bowman is a family man who faces a life-changing tragedy. These two men are constantly at odds while tumbling toward the same goal, to figure out who’s committing grisly mayhem.
Let’s dive in and see what makes it special.
The direction and cinematography in Torture The Flesh are very clean and decisive. Everything on screen is aesthetically organized and the color grading really pops. While some of the beats do feel a bit drawn out, the other characters are given some fun roles to sink their teeth into. Horror legend Lynn Lowry (Shivers 1975, read our retro review here) pulls out lots of emotion as the detectives’ estranged wife, while Heather Harlow (The Town Without Halloween 2024) brings seductiveness and a sense of warm grounding to the final act. She plays Lacey, a stripper that has a connection to many of the main characters, pulling out what could be the motivation for the massacre.
Torture The Flesh lives up to its titular billing in the torture department, as the kills delve into places that we don’t normally see. The arsenal feels like something out of The Toolbox Murders. This film had fun reveling in an 80s style that includes a lot of babes, boobs, and blood.
Some of the turns in the story could have probably benefitted from more buildup to aid the reveal, but the writers did a nice job of implicating multiple potential killers to throw audiences off of the scent.
Torture The Flesh is now available on Blu-Ray, and you can order directly from Derek Braasch.
