PopHorror Let's Get Scared
One of my most anticipated films for Fantastic Fest 2021 was the world premiere of Gigi Saul Guerrero’s Bingo Hell. I’m a huge fan of her work and I love seeing her continue to kick ass in this industry. This film is part of the new Welcome to the Blumhouse series on Amazon Prime and stars Adriana Barraza, L. Scott Caldwell, Richard Brake, and Joshua Caleb Johnson. It was co-written by Guerrero, Shane McKenzie, and Perry Blackshear. It was executive produced by Jason Blum, Lisa Bruce, Jeremy Gold, Marci Wiseman, Raynor Shima, and Lauren Downey.
Synopsis for Bingo Hell
When a sinister figure threatens the residents of a low-income community, a feisty senior citizen tries to stop him in Bingo Hell, a wickedly original horror movie with a fiendishly funny twist. After 60-something neighborhood activist Lupita (Adriana Barraza) discovers that her beloved local bingo hall has been taken over by a mysterious businessman named Mr. Big (Richard Brake), she rallies her elderly friends to fight back against the enigmatic entrepreneur. But when her longtime neighbors begin turning up dead under grisly circumstances, Lupita suddenly discovers that gentrification is the least of her problems. Something terrifying has made itself at home in the quiet barrio of Oak Springs, and with each new cry of “Bingo!” another victim falls prey to its diabolical presence. As the cash prizes increase and the body count steadily rises, Lupita must face the frightening realization that this game is truly winner-takes-all.
From the moment I heard about the new Welcome to the Blumhouse series, I was stoked and couldn’t wait. I was a huge fan of the first four and couldn’t wait to see what they came out with this time. When I found out Gigi was going to be involved, I knew it was going to be fantastic. Gigi is a fantastic filmmaker, writer, actress, and so on. Not only does she know horror, she always delivers some unique and special and gives us diversity! Once again, we get to experience this with her new horror film, Bingo Hell.
Bingo Hell is such a unique and compelling story and I haven’t seen anything quite like it. It’s a bit of a slow build, but the ending is well worth it. All of the performances are amazing and the characters are fantastic especially since a majority of them are elderly and that’s not something you see very often in a film let alone a horror film. Adriana Barraza’s Lupita was the beacon of the film. Her character was overbearing and frustrating but it all came from a good place and as the story continues, you see how much love she has for her community and that she’ll do anything to protect them. My second favorite character is L. Scott Caldwell’s Dolores. She’s a peach and so very funny. Her personality was charismatic and her chemistry with Dolores was genuine and raw. Last but not least, I can’t forget to mention the incredible Richard Brake. We all know he plays a bad guy flawlessly and he proves this once again in Bingo Hell. He’s pure perfection.
Much of Bingo Hell is wholesome, sweet, and centers around a small community just trying to survive and constantly giving each other grief (but in a loving way). The other part of this film is dark, a little sad, and deliciously bloody. There’s some excellent special effects sprinkled throughout the runtime that help intensify this original horror story. The imagery, lighting, and cinematography were also fantastic and helped create a sinister atmosphere.
Bingo Hell was a huge success at Fantastic Fest 2021 and is now streaming on Amazon Prime. This was such a unique film and I loved the sense of humor mixed with the horror and darkness. Be sure to check it out now!
