PopHorror Let's Get Scared
So… when I first saw the trailer for Red Letter Day, I knew this was a film I would enjoy. What I didn’t expect was how much I would love it and that it would become one of my new favorite films of 2019. Once you see it, you’ll understand why. But let me explain.
Cameron Macgowan wrote the neighborhood-nightmare, which stars Dawn Van de Schoot (Tom Stone), Hailey Foss (Sarabha: Cry for Freedom), Roger LeBlanc (Painkillers), Tiffany Helm (Friday the 13th: A New Beginning) Kaeleb Zain Gartner, and Peter Strand Rumpel. It was produced by Jason Wan Lim and executive produced by Macgowan, Rhett Miller, Trevor Griffiths, and Amy Griffiths. Kyle Cooper and Sara Corry co-produced.
Synopsis for Red Letter Day
While adjusting to a new life in a quiet suburban community, a recently divorced mother (Dawn Van de Schoot), and her two teens receive mysterious red letters instructing them each to kill or be killed. As the bloodshed begins, they find themselves in a race against time to protect the ones they love from the people they thought they knew.
Red Letter Day is what The Purge franchise has tried to do but failed miserably. Okay, “miserably” may be a bit dramatic, but I’m really not a fan of the franchise. I think they play it too safe especially with the first one. Red Letter Day doesn’t. This film is such a fun and twisted premise that’s loaded with blood and gore as well as interesting characters.
Can you imagine if one day you got a red envelope and inside is a letter stating you must kill one of your neighbors before they kill you? Meanwhile, you have no clue if this is just a prank or something you should take seriously or who would do such a thing. It would be slightly hilarious at first, but then the paranoia would set and let’s just say not all people can handle high levels of stress and suspicion well. And others, are all just too happy to play this game.
Forget love thy neighbor, it’s kill thy neighbor now. And no matter if you’re willingly playing, you will just to survive. I love it. I love everything about it. I think most people suck and although I would like to believe nothing like this would ever happen… I’m sure some idiot would take it seriously. Forget the law and just go into survivor mode. Or go on a sick spree and say it was self-defense. Either way, suburbia life is no longer safe. Or was it ever?
Although some of the acting in Red Letter Day is a bit over the top, I really enjoyed the characters and their relationships. Dawn Van de Schoot plays a protective mom who will do anything for his children including stabbing someone in the neck with a chicken. The relationship and chemistry between the mother and the kids feel real and authentic. You can tell despite their bickering, they’d do anything for each other.
As I previously mentioned, this film is loaded with blood and gore for all you blood-thirsty hooligans out there. They don’t play it safe and they don’t hold back (we get to see it all), which is one reason I enjoyed it so much. It has some truly cringe-worthy scenes that made me flinch and look away.
Final Thoughts
Red Letter Day is hands down one of the best films Epic Pictures and DREAD has released thus far. I loved everything about the story and it’s the perfect horror thriller and just in time for Halloween. I can’t wait to own it. The film will open November 1st in select theaters and s now available on Blu-Ray!
