Genre : Horror
Rating : Unrated
Director: Patrick Lussier

Cast:
Omar Epps
Kristina Reyes
Tom Atkins
Jamie Kennedy

It seems that few genres of film are as collaborative as horror. Despite being considered the black sheep of the film genres horror has produced some incredible creative teams over the years. Whether it’s Wes Craven turning Robert Englund into a bonafide icon or director Guillermo del Toro working with Guillermo Navarro to bring fairy tales to life there’s no denying that there is something about scary movies that brings people together. One of the most promising duos of the 2000’s was director Patrick Lussier and Todd Farmer. Collaborating on 2009’s My Bloody Valentine 3D they would go on to cement their place in genre film history with the bats**t insane Nicolas Cage film Drive Angry. The two seemed to be on the verge of their big break with a sequel to Rob Zombie’s Halloween 2 before going their separate ways. A decade after their first collaboration the two are back to try and make their mark on the slasher genre. Will this Trick be a disaster or more of a treat?

Considered a smart and quiet teenager Patrick Weaver goes on a stabbing spree at a Halloween party in 2015. Claiming several victims, he is able to escape despite capture, being shot several times and falling out of as second story window. Despite this Detective Mike Denver (Omar Epps) and Sheriff Lisa Jayne (Ellen Adair) are unable to find a body. Over the next four years a killer, now simply known as “Trick”, wreaks havoc every year on Halloween tormenting the two. Convinced that Patrick is behind these massacres Mike is back on the hunt, certain that he can capture the elusive killer.

Needless to say, it isn’t the most original of plots. Between Trick being a stand in for Michael Myers and Detective Denver as a new version of Dr. Loomis it would be easy to mistake Trick as Lussier and Farmer’s old Halloween script with a few name changes. They even have Tom Atkins from Halloween 3: Season of the Witch in a fun cameo as Mr. Talbot. Rounding out the cast are Ellen Adair as Sheriff Jayne and Kristina Reyes as Cheryl, a survivor from Trick’s initial killing spree. Despite being two very different characters the two put their all into the role with Sheriff Jayne being the consummate professional and Cheryl as your classic final girl. Aside from a poorly cast Jamie Kennedy in a supporting role the cast do all they can to carry Trick’s cliché-ridden script.

With visual effects from Jean-Francois Beaulieu and visual effects supervisor Pete Sussi the one thing Trick has in bulk is gore. With Trick utilizing a mix of Saw-esque traps and good old-fashioned slashing Trick accumulates a nice little body count. Each kill emphasized by some gnarly looking practical effects. This would be great if Trick had a great slasher of its own. With a painted face and a variety of masks Trick is somehow not only the smartest guy in the room but also the faster than Usain Bolt and more proficient with weaponry than three John Wicks. So instead of Myers we get a 13-year old’s version of what the coolest and most XTREME Halloween movie would be like. We get an explanation for this near the end of the film but by then it’s too little too late.

Watching Trick I couldn’t help but think of Mark Millar’s (writer of Kick-Ass and Old Man Logan) comic book Nemesis. Working with artist Steve McNiven the two created classics. Letting the two work on their own project without any continuity to worry about seemed like a perfect idea. Yet when left unrestrained and to their own devices they stumbled over their own feet. The same can be said of director Patrick Lussier and writer Todd Farmer with Trick. With one too many ideas without all the resources Trick ends up feeling more like a collection of cool scenes without a proper through line and instead of creating the next horror legend we get another horror what if.

Rating: 4/10
Links : IMDB

Trick is now available on VOD, DVD and Bluray

https://store.playstation.com/en-us/product/UP0006-CUSA05770_00-CELEUP0000000000