Dir. August Anthony Aguilar (2022)
An escaped mental patient has one desire: to kill as many people as
possible.
CAUTION: MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS
Filmed on just $2,000, August Aguilar has delivered a clear love letter to the prototypical slasher film, most notably Halloween. Stanley Elk has been locked into a mental institution after a murder spree, and all hell threatens to break loose in town after he is released by a guard who is a fan of his work. What follows is a watchable indie exploitation/comedy flick with some interesting tricks and unexpected jumpscares. The film falls short at times, with some of the actors coming across as just average and a lot of the punches pulled due to cutaways on the money shots. It’s fair to say that the latter may have been a wise choice, however, as the lack of budget very well could have hurt the effects that were able to be put on-screen, and it’s usually better to pull away and leave the gore to the audience’s imagination than it is to show something lackluster. What makeup effects were there, however, were pretty good for a film of this budget, and the film as a whole works really well as a cheap indie slasher.
He Comes To Kill comes across as more of an elongated short, a natural stepping stone from Aguilar’s earlier work. At only 50 minutes, it’s easily digestible and one that manages to hit enough of the high points while being worth the time investment. If you’re a fan of indie horror, this one is definitely worth a watch. It’s funny at times, and it feels like a building block for what could be a franchise-style slasher film if it is able to attain a higher budget. Stanley Elk is legitimately creepy, especially once he finds his “trademark” mask. The film definitely leans a bit heavy on its forefathers and doesn’t add a whole lot new to the equation, but if you’re a fan of 80’s-and-90’s slashers, you don’t need anything new; you just need a cheap slasher film. If that’s your bag (and it’s totally mine), check this one out. It may not surprise you, but at the very least you’ll be supporting Knoxville indie horror, and that’s the only thing in Knoxville worth supporting. Go Dawgs.
