PopHorror Let's Get Scared
I’ve got a huge soft spot for slasher films, but I especially love indie slashers. I love that they take the subgenre back to its raw low budget origins. The latest indie slasher to arise is Coffintooth.
Read on for my thoughts on the film.
Synopsis
A madman known as Coffintooth stalks victims on Halloween Eve.
Coffintooth was written and directed by Matt Cloude. The film stars Anna Clary (Grandma), Angel Nicole Bradford (Crackcoon), Clint Beaver (Lust, Magic, and the Witches Sabbath), Brian Bremer (The Slasher Nurse), Jason Crowe (Gush), Lloyd Kaufman (Poultrygeist: Night of the Chicken Dead), Jim Krut (Blood and Breakfast), Camilla Keaton (I Spit On Your Grave), Ryan Martel (Amityville Ripper), and Shane Terry (Bloody Ballet).
I was really impressed with the opening of Coffintooth, which takes place 30 years before the rest of the film. It gives us some hints as to the origins of Coffintooth and sets the grimmy tone for the rest of the film. There is also a spectacular kill. After this we cut to the present and we meet Parker Blaine, the film’s protagonist, a young woman who rarely leaves her house, and her friend Kimmy. The film does a good job of setting up a believable friendship between the two, even though besides talking on the phone, they never share a scene.
I really liked Parker as a character. She’s got some trauma in her past which makes her relatable and makes you care about her. She’s a tough cookie. She goes through a lot over the course of the movie. I thought Anna Clary did a really good job with the character. She makes Parker a likable badass and she gives an awesome performance. I also really enjoyed Angel Nichole Bradford as Kimmy and I wish she had a bigger role as she’s quickly becoming one of my favorite indie scream queens.
I loved the look and feel of Coffintooth. It’s very dark and grimmy. The kills keep things strictly practical. While a lot of the kills are fairly lo-fi, there are a number that are quite shocking and I’m still trying to figure out how they did them. There is one kill in particular involving a bound and gagged woman that I found to be fairly disturbing. I enjoyed the look and feel of the killer here. He kinda reminded me of Leatherface with a dash of Michael Myers thrown in for good measure. I liked that Coffintooth’s mother carried over from the films opening, played in the final act by Camille Keaton. Her character was a blast. The final act is awesome and intense.
Final Thoughts
Coffintooth is a lo-fi back to basics slasher. The film features some solid kills, an excellent lead performance from Anna Clary and a really satisfying final act. Stay tuned for a mid credit sceen. Recommended.
