Written by: Ryan Dailey
Once upon a time, in a world before virtue signaling, woke ideologies and incessant pandering to the audience, the horror nation was full of films that were unapologetic and delivered dark comedy via spectacular practical effects and relatable writing.
Destroy All Neighbors is a bit of a time machine in a way, taking horror fans to a time when films like The Evil Dead 2: Dead By Dawn and Dead Alive beckoned to them from the shelves of their Family Video or whatever mom and pop video rental store they may have frequented.
The film plays out almost like a surreal SNL skit being broadcast from Hell or maybe even a vignette from Stay Tuned,for those denizens of the horror nation that may remember that underrated and often forgotten dark comedy gem.
Jonah Ray plays Will, a man struggling to finish his prog rock masterpiece after three long years. While his girlfriend Emily (Kiran Deol) supports him fully, as outside forces in the apartment work to stifle his creativity. When one of Will’s neighbors sells a script and moves out, Will’s problems expand ten fold when Vlad (Alex Winter) moves in his place.
The plot is non existent, as mentioned before, there is a coherent series of shlock stick situations and memorable interactions after Will accidentally murders Vlad in his apartment.
And that is what this particular viewing experience is about. It is a warped Raimi fever dream with improv flavor throughout.
Destroy All Neighbors provides a great experience throughout the entire runtime. It is simple story telling that is enhanced by memorable performances by talented people that feed off of one another’s performance’s in such a way that feels organic and right. Fans of Dead Alive will appreciate the type of humor the film presents, as well as the great and innovative practical gore effects.
Destroy All Neighbors is streaming currently on Shudder.