★★★★½
Kelly Holstrom’s latest directing effort, Dress to Kill, played at this year’s 3rd annual Newark Independent Film Festival.
A horror comedy that knows exactly what it wants to be, leans into it heavily and wholeheartedly, making the final finished product killer.
Co-written by Holstrom and Sumner Sykes, the film captures the essence of satire and parody perfectly.
The characters are so ridiculous and outlandish that, without context for the film’s premise and going in blind, the opening scene took me off guard, giving a false sense of tone and structure.
It’s not until about two minutes into the movie, when more characters are introduced, that it becomes established that the opening characters aren’t misconstrued; they’re setting the standard and structure for the film.
A satire and horror parody where a mysterious host has a grand costume party, one in which there is a grand prize for the best costume. A prize to die for.
“A prize to die for.”
On the surface, the characters are two-dimensional and offer no depth or concept. Yet they bestow something more important: raw intention and heightened, bold characteristics.
Holstrom and Sykes take what worked so well in Not Another Teen Movie and apply it here. The characters don’t need to be three-dimensional or have depth because the comedy is a satire that is baptized in oversimplified intentions rather than full-fledged characters.
Poking fun at the characters for who they are at their core and doing so with exaggerated humor.
Yet throughout the entire film, there is an undertone of wit and genius to the writing that is planted slowly throughout, only to be connected in the final act. Showcasing the brilliance that was sprinkled throughout and the lack of faith in humanity, with a surreal look at our society as a whole.
“The characters don’t need to be three-dimensional or have depth because the comedy is a satire that is baptized in oversimplified intentions rather than full-fledged characters.”
Holstrom crafts the film with the perfect blend of satire and parody, paying homage to classics like The Shining, The Ring, Audition, The Rocky Horror Picture Show and House on Haunted Hill. Borrowing from and citing the influence of the films that came before it and clearly inspired it.
Yet what makes the film work so well and flow so seamlessly isn’t just the films Holstrom parodies, but the clear vision and attention to detail.
Short films are harder to properly pace and are often more challenging due to the lack of time to properly set the tone and execute the story fully and in-depth, even with characters that are designed to be undefined.
Blending the comedy and kills perfectly in tone, allowing them to complement each other. Feeling refreshing and fun rather than merely a rip-off of a rip-off. Creating a compelling blend that walks effortlessly on the tightrope.
Accompanied by performances that are over-the-top and exaggerated in the most uniform and intentional way. So well crafted that many will dismiss them for their lack of depth. But to the contrary, creating a performance that is meant to be over-the-top and “bad” is a hard balance to find. One that requires balance and restraint.
“Creating a performance that is meant to be over-the-top and ‘bad’ is a hard balance to find.”
Dress to Kill is a clever and witty horror satire that showcases a keen eye for a subgenre of horror that is often overlooked and dismissed.