Written by: Ryan Dailey
In all films, be it horror to drama, the setting is just as much of a character as the protagonists are. In a vacation horror film, characters are introduced to their first enemies, alienation and dislocation. Our heroes leave the comforts of their homes seeking relaxation and adventure, only to find they have sacrificed their home court advantage when their lives eventually are laid on the line. Gasp in horror as the protagonist(s) run for their lives, only to have nowhere to run to. A fair handful of films have used the method of displacing their characters in foreign settings, so grab your passports for a different kind of couch trip.
Honeymoon (2014)
Leigh Janaiak directed this 2014 tale of a newly wedded couple leaving the city behind to spend the first weeks of married bliss in a cabin that Bea (Rose Leslie) secured from a family member. The first half-hour or so of the film plays like a soft-core skin flick one would have found on Cinemax circa the early 1990’s. Paul, (Harry Treadaway) cannot keep his hands off of his new bride, resulting in far too many over-the-clothes sex scenes. Once the film starts proper, it is revealed that Bea has been abducted and experimented on and even impregnated by aliens. Honeymoon is a very middle of the road movie, with the acting, writing and execution being very mediocre. Fire In The Sky or The Fourth Kind takes this premise and does it so much better than Honeymoon.
On the positive side of things, Honeymoon does have some shining points. Some scenes, such as when Bea is looking at herself in the mirror, trying to get her alibi straight as to why she can not be intimate with Paul or when Bea is frantically writing down simple things from her life so she can regurgitate those facts to Paul to lessen the suspect that she is no longer who she once was are well done and draw the viewer in. The actors portraying Will and Annie, (Ben Huber and Hanna Brown) turn in surprisingly good performances, so good, in fact, the viewer almost wishes there was a spin-off film telling their story. Honeymoon is not an entirely unenjoyable film, and given that it is currently streaming for free on Tubi, it is worth a view.
Chernobyl Diaries
Brad Parker thrusts six tourists into the hands of an extreme tour guide in Russia. The group is led to Pripyat, the town that housed most of the workers for the doomed Chernobyl plant. The intrepid explorers are soon hunted by the various mutations, human and otherwise. Chernobyl Diaries does have better acting and dialog than the afore-mentioned Honeymoon, albeit by a narrow margin. The viewer might view this film as a Hostel and The Hills have Eyes hybrid. This film definitely benefits from the director having been assistant director on prior films. The atmosphere is great, but it lacks in almost every other area. On the plus side of things, this film came out around the end of the independent horror film boom of the first decade of the 2000’s. The way this movie is filmed is a nice break from the mainstream horror of today, making the viewer feel as though they are there, due to the lack of big budget polish. The premise is interesting and rooted in real life, which, if executed better, could have made this an experience. As with the prior movie in this review, Chernobyl Diaries is available for free on Tubi.
Death of Me (2020)
Death of Me
The third and final movie up for review comes to us from Darren Lynn Bousman, the director of Saw 2 and REPO! The Genetic Opera. Admittingly, this film fares better than the other two based on a better, somewhat known cast and better writing. Maggie Q and Luke Hemsworth portray Christine and Neil, respectively, The couple are vacationing off the coast of Thailand, as Neil works as a travel journalist. The couple finds themselves in a local bar, being heralded as guests of honor. After drinking a mysterious beverage, the night became a haze of lies, hallucinations and black magic fueled debauchery. This is when the film tries hard to be The Serpent and the Rainbow with shades of Inside and Rosemary’s Baby. The scenery is amazing, the acting is very tolerable but as far as pacing, and writing, this movie definitely left these things in the baggage claim. Death of Me is currently streaming on Netflix with paid subscription.