PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Nothing spurs on vengeance from beyond the grave quite like being murdered in cold blood. We have seen such similar concepts of death and near death-driven revenge tales explored in classics such as the 1997 live action, onscreen adaptation of Spawn and Quentin Tarantino’s smash hit from 2003, Kill Bill. However, the latest indie action horror to raise its leading lady from the grave on a quest for vengeance is Todd Bartoo’s full-feature directorial debut, Killing Joan, starring Jamie Bernadette.
When rebellious mob enforcer Joan Butler (Jamie Bernadette: I Spit On Your Grave: Deja Vu 2018) oversteps her bounds, her ruthless employer, Frank (David Carey Foster: Brix and the Bitch 2016), decides he has grown tired of her services. Orchestrating an early retirement for Joan, Frank unleash his goons allowing them to turn on her after failing to rough up a social worker named Anthony (Teo Celigo: Dracula: The Impaler), who has caused problems for the mob’s business, and who just happens to be Joan’s ex-boyfriend. Joan is cornered in an alley where Miles (Erik Aude: Death House 2018), a fellow enforcer, and three other thugs brutalize her before smashing her head with a crowbar.
Finding herself unexplainably resurrected and gifted with supernatural abilities, Joan tracks down those responsible for her death. Beginning from the bottom ranks of the mob enforcers, Joan begins knocking off one thug at a time before Anthony attempts to convince her to let go of her thirst for revenge before it becomes all consuming. However, Joan brushes off his words and continues her personal vendetta until she comes face to face with an unexpected evil force that threatens any existence of humanity she has left.
If this synopsis sounds familiar, you are probably thinking of the 1994 classic, The Crow, starring Brandon Lee. While it has some strong similarities, Killing Joan retains enough originality to set it apart. Though the story loses consistency and flow at times and the explanation for Joan’s resurrection and powerful abilities is a bit vague, the concept of this dark path of hell-bent vengeance threatening to consume what remains of Joan’s humanity fits well with the dark, seedy life she lead as a mob enforcer. Also reflecting the character development of Joan are the simple, yet effective, special effects that visually portray her dark, supernatural abilities as shadowy mists and fog.
Helping drive the film is the cast. However, the brute force that carries Killing Joan from beginning to end is Jamie Bernadette, who has a starring role in the upcoming fifth installment of I Spit on Your Grave. Regardless of her slender form, Bernadette owns her unmerciful role from the moment she steps onto the screen. Fearlessly carrying herself in a domineering way, Bernadette brings the role of Joan to life with surprising intimidation, perfect for a mob enforcer turned vengeful spirit.
Despite being a bit rough around the edges with spotty shortcomings, Killing Joan is a film that relies more heavily on creativity than money, which any fan of indie films knows to appreciate. While serving as a nostalgic reminiscent of The Crow, Bartoo’s first full length feature offers notable uniqueness in a surprising twist that explores how vengeance can be all consuming until no humanity remains.
