TW/CW: This movie centers on themes of depression and suicidal ideation.
Talk to someone now: If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.
1-800-273-8255
What do you get when a comedian and his fellow native Kentucky friend write a slasher flick produced with a budget of less than $6000? You get a movie-making crew that doesn’t give a shit about pleasing random execs and instead has fun creating a slasher movie for the adults. You know, with adults playing actual adults. Time to ditch the creepy “teen” nudity and registry-adjacent voyeurism and get back to good old-fashioned, wholesome kills.
It is impressive that Ricky Glore, Nicholas Hiance, and company stretched their small budget of just shy of $6000 across this perfectly timed horrorpiece. Yes, a low-budget indie flick can still include music, a talented cast, and a gorgeous location while entertaining its audience with a non-convoluted storyline. And you know what else you get with an Indie film? A pretty fucking cool soundtrack. Seriously, *check it out here* and have that shit playing in the background as you read through the rest of this review.
“All Your Friends are Dead” gives on the cusp Millenials and Gen Xers a bitter dose of reality with the depressed, alcoholic “loser” Matt, who peaked in high school. Matt decides life must go on without him and plans to take his own life. Of course, he’s not going out without letting his once inseparable friend group know of his plans. Is it sad? Yes. Dark? Uh-huh. Pretty fucking messed up to put your supposed friends through that, finding you after it’s all over? You bet your ass it is. Thankfully for the friend group, they won’t have to be tortured by that scene. Sadly, other tortures await them instead.
The movie plays off the familiar “who done it / it’s obvious who done it” structure. What makes “All Your Friends are Dead” different is that we really don’t want anyone to die. I’m guilty of cheering on the kills once the homicidal masked man sets his eyes on the young, dumb soon-to-be victims. With the friend group simply dubbed “The Pack,” I found myself dreading each kill. I was definitely rooting for some of these friends, yet as a horror fan, loving the entertaining display of blood and guts.
And what, pray tell, does this masked killer have against our friend group? Was he abandoned in the woods by his fornicating babysitter? Does he know what “The Pack” did last summer? While that information may still be a bit fuzzy once you find out who the killer is, I will admit to taking a liking to this fella. Yes, he’s killing off my on-screen best friends. Yes, he’s a big meanie that doesn’t deserve any dessert after dinner. But his presence and jovial attitude while picking off our crew one by one are entertaining. Whenever “the jester” appears on screen, I couldn’t help but smile and forgive how he treats my movie best friends.
So what is the one big takeaway from “All Your Friends are Dead”? Indie films, and specifically Indie Horror, need to be given more opportunities to reach a wider audience. Having had the chance to watch many Indie shorts and feature-length horror films in the past, I love the originality of the stories and the resourcefulness with special effects and creative cinematography. Smaller budgets and crews often translate to a great story and interesting visual aesthetic. “All Your Friends are Dead” checks off those marks with a storyline that is all too relatable and a killer vibe that satisfies the horror fan. And even with my one critique of our story, I can still recommend to the horror community this fun slasher flick that 100% delivers the kills.
To watch “All Your Friends are Dead“, head over to https://www.thenky.com and check out where you can watch this Indie Horror flick.
Talk to someone now: If you’re thinking about suicide, are worried about a friend or loved one, or would like emotional support, the Lifeline network is available 24/7 across the United States.
1-800-273-8255
Full disclosure: The author of this review contributed to the Kickstarter campaign for this movie. They have received no monetary benefits from the production or distribution, or for the writing of this review.
