PopHorror Let's Get Scared
Filmmaking collective Astron-6—Adam Brooks, Jeremy Gillespie, Matt Kennedy, Conor Sweeney, and Steven Kostanski—have produced some highly entertaining flicks in the last decade. Though now dissolved, members of the group have continued to produce quality content. For example, 2016’s The Void (read our review here), co-directed by Gillespie and Kostanski, was a departure for the former members in that it features a more serious tone, but it still created some buzz among genre fans upon its release. Now, Kostanski is back with the upcoming Psycho Goreman, which he produced, co-edited, wrote, and directed. Irreverent and ironic, the SciFi-inflected creature feature feels like the gooey lovechild of Mighty Morphin Power Rangers and a Gwar stage show. I absolutely loved it.
Preteen siblings Mimi (Nita-Josee Hanna, making quite a debut) and Luke (Owen Myre: NOS4A2 TFV series) spend a lot of time together, although the younger but assertive Mimi bullies her brother a bit. One night, they discover something buried in their backyard. In a sizable pit, Mimi wrenches some sort of amulet off the top of what looks to be a coffin, causing a reaction that frightens the pair. They hurriedly rebury the box with Mimi retaining the amulet. Soon, though, the vastly powerful and vicious alien warlord who will come to be known as Psycho Goreman—PG for short!—claws his way out of the pit.
See, Psycho Goreman (Matthew Ninaber, voiced by Steven Vlahos) was imprisoned on Earth millions of years ago by the domineering Templars and their leader, Pandora (Kristen MacCulloch, voiced by Anna Tierney), and now he wants revenge. However, to his dismay—and Mimi’s delight—whoever possesses the amulet has complete control over PG. There’s still bloody mayhem in store, but it’s refracted through the whims of a petulant and sometimes petty 11-year-old. Meanwhile, Psycho Goreman’s enemies and former allies have their own plans for the newly freed intergalactic despot.
Notable supporting roles belong to Astron-6 cohort Brooks (Father’s Day) as wussy dad Greg, Alexis Kara Hancey in her feature-length debut as put-upon mom Susan, and young Scout Flint as Alastair, the unfortunate target of Mimi’s affection.
Kostanski’s script makes room for some rather dark humor amidst the silliness and gore. I laughed out loud a handful of times, though I wouldn’t describe this film as a straight up comedy. It’s got a subversive mean streak, but it’s never less than fun. Characters are broadly drawn but distinctive, and we get a solid sense of all the main players’ personalities. The premise is capitalized upon and simply structured, even while the story zigs where you might expect it to zag. The narrative never relinquishes its cartoony tone, even in its gorier moments. In fact, much of the humor is mined from the absurdity of these seemingly clashing aesthetics. Dialogue is fine for this type of affair, and I particularly enjoyed PG’s intense proclamations about murder and torture.
Hanna carries the film on her diminutive shoulders for the most part. She can be abrasive, but she’s supposed to be. Considering this is her cinematic debut, she turns in an impressive effort. She should have a great career ahead of her. The combination of Ninaber (Transference 2020) and Vlahos (Two Deaths of Henry Baker 2020) for PG is seamless. Their work is smoldering, dour, and often hilarious. Honestly, the entire cast has great chemistry and hits all the right notes between earnestness and camp.
Creature design is outstanding. The various aliens and mutated humans look great, although they mostly have a purposefully rubbery look. Much of the film’s flavor is derived from this pleasing blend of goofy, gross, and cool. In other words, the production design is meant to be cheesy, but it’s still clever. There’s a mixture of practical and CG effects, and Kostanski doesn’t shy away from the splatter.
Set design is nicely done, with the family’s small townhome looking authentic and providing a nice contrast to the out-of-this-world proceedings. Cinematographer Andrew Appelle (Dark Side of the Ring 2019) ensures everything looks great, from the mundane to the otherworldly. It’s not a flashy effort, but action and effects are clearly presented and a few aerial shots give the piece some scope. The throwback synth score by Blitz//Berlin (The Void) evokes appropriate memories of ‘80s genre cinema. The theme rap song that plays over the closing credits is a perfect closer.
I had a blast with Steven Kostanski’s Psycho Goreman. I don’t think it’s for everyone, but there’s a large subset of fans that will surely eat this up like PG devouring an opponent. I know I’ll be enthusiastically adding the Blu-ray to my collection when it drops in March. If you can’t wait until then, RLJE Films is releasing the film in Theaters, On Demand, and Digital on January 22, 2021. Psycho Goreman is highly recommended for fans of The Gate (1987), Hobo with a Shotgun (2011), and Turbo Kid (2015).
