Hogmanay? More like Hogma-slay, when a corporate New Year’s Eve party is targeted by a sadistic serial killer in P.J. Starks and Erik Huskisson’s horror comedy New Fears Eve.
Of all the sub-genres within the world of horror, the comedy-horror is the most difficult to achieve real success in. There are arguably only a handful of films that attain the perfect balance of being very funny and provide genuine scares. The list of truly great comedy horrors could almost be counted on one hand: An American Werewolf in London, Scream, Shaun of the Dead, and Evil Dead 2. It is safe to say that this film will not require extra fingers to count on.
The ‘comedy’, if you can call it that, is deeply unfunny. The script is almost cringeworthy in its crude, misogynistic attempts at humour. It feels as though it is from a teen sex comedy from the late nineties; however, the world has moved on since then. The central trio of Leslie, Brian and Moses feels akin to the dynamic of Becky, Dante and Randall in Clerks 2. Albeit without any of the wit and charm of Kevin Smith’s characters and dialogue. The result is a slasher that has the audience actively rooting for the killer to dispatch every single one of the poorly written, unlikeable characters.
The film’s only saving grace is the manner with which the many, many kills are executed… pardon the pun. The majority of ‘The Doctor’s’ murders are achieved with a pleasing reliance on gruesome practical effects. Whether it be a throat being ripped out or entrails flushed down the toilet, the directors are writing a prescription that will try to satisfy a knowing audience’s bloodlust.
Sadly, a plethora of entertaining kills are not enough to rescue it from mediocrity, or the disappointing climax that forgoes any attempt at a satisfying conclusion and instead tries to set up an unmerited sequel. In the spirit of Auld Lang’s Syne, this is one horror film that is perhaps best be forgot, and never brought to mind…
New Fears Eve is out now on Blu-ray.
