While delivering to an affluent neighborhood, a broke pizza delivery girl ends up being chased by a satanic cult because they need a virgin.
Written by Grady Hendrix from a story by Ted Geoghegan and directed by Chelsea Stardust, this horror comedy is a boatload of fun and then some. There’s a ton in here and there never seems to be a quiet moment. The film takes off pretty soon after introducing its lead and then it just goes through everything you’d expect from a cult film that also happens to be a comedy. There is blood, there is nonsense, there is fun. While the story is solid and the characters work great, the directing here is what really brings it all together. Following this, the film itself doesn’t take itself too seriously which is a top strength for it. This is a fun watch and an easy one to obtain as it’s been out for a little while and shows up on streaming often as well as disc release just about anywhere. This is one that many may have missed, but it’s definitely one horror fans will want to check out.
The cast here is stellar in the most fun way. Rebecca Romijn takes the role of cult leader and makes it hers. She goes full on and isn’t afraid to get bloody and evil. As lead Sam, Hayley Griffith is a good heroine/final girl/virgin. She’s a bit all over the place mentally, something that seems to give her some level of reality as a Millenial thrown into an insane situation with most Gen-Xers trying to kill her. Her work here is entertaining and she’s not your typical final girl, yet she kind of is. There is something about her interpretation of the part that works great. The rest of the cast has a few horror regulars like AJ Bowen, Jordan Ladd, and Jeff Daniel Phillips, all of them fun to watch. Of course, a few of the parts feel a bit random, but they all somehow work within this universe.
The film here has a look that is very clear, very colorful, and quite ready to show the viewer everything, something that is much appreciated in this genre. The cinematography by Mark Evans is good and it really works in the later parts of the film, once things are taken outdoors. The looks here is like lush darkness and satanic chic, something that is assisted by fantastic wardrobe selections, décor decisions, and overall set designs. The special effects, for the gore hounds out there, are good too, a bit more minimal than some will expect, but when there’s blood and when there’s gore, it works with what looks to be mostly practical effects.
A few years down the line, Chelsea Stardust’s feature directorial debut is still a lot of fun and cult mayhem with solid performances and some good blood. It’s a great feature debut and she has only directed one other film since, what are studios waiting for? Give the woman a budget to direct again already.
