Horror Movie Review: Reunion From Hell (2021)

Directed by Sam Hodge and Hayden Newman (who stars in and co-wrote the story with Jake Zelch) comes Reunion from Hell, an unremarkable slasher horror that is LGBTQIA+ friendly and with one notable aspect, a really unlikable main protagonist.

Hayden Newman plays Riley. A bitter, angry, and selfish young man who has returned to his hometown following the brutal murder of one of his friends. Riley has been off the rails for some time, feeling guilt for the death of his father, who was in a car crash on route to pick him up from a party. He has struggled to move forward, and his return home comes with the promise of finding a way to live again, except someone has different ideas.

Someone is holding a grudge and taking it out on Riley’s nearest and dearest.

Desperate to stop the killings and find who is responsible, Riley starts to dig and ends up discovering even more horrible truths. This is no ordinary reunion, it’s a Reunion from Hell.

It’s slasher 101, with a mystery to boot, albeit a mystery that isn’t particularly compelling to watch. All because the script is bloated and needed heavy editing, which it hasn’t had. It’s not the worst story, especially as it does follow a traditional slasher formula, but it does get buried under a mountain of issues around Riley.

This is where I struggled with the film. Riley is so unlikable that it actively harms the film. He is bitchy throughout, insulting to those he claims to care about, constantly moaning, and refuses take responsibility, giving mealy-mouthed apologies by blaming his behaviour on the fact that his father’s death affected him so much.

Which, from a character standpoint, I can understand and get behind, except he doesn’t grow and that is very necessary.

The film expects the viewer to get behind him on his journey to uncover the truth but gives us no reason to want to see him succeed. It’s not that you’ll be actively rooting for the killer or anything, but there were several scenes of unnecessary bitchiness where I wouldn’t have minded seeing the character roughed up a bit.

Unfortunately, what also doesn’t help is that Hayden Newman isn’t the best actor and struggles with some of the weighty dialogue. Some of his line deliveries are quite awkward, but he’s far from alone in that regard. It’s not outright bad acting across the board, but it is hit and miss, with a few more misses than hits. Of course, this is an issue heightened by the swollen run time and the pacing issues that come with that. It is a film that really struggles to engage its audience, and most will find themselves checking out long before the credits are rolling.

It’s not all bad though. I do think the cast try, some have chemistry, and they’re not completely to blame for the tedium that sets in. I do think the beginning is quite exciting and the ending delivers the payoff most will be demanding. I also think the kills, and associated effects, are decent. Especially when you take into account just how small the budget would have been. Positives in an experience that inevitably is remembered for its negatives.

I am still baffled as to why you would write your main character to be so unlikable.