Written and directed by P.J. Starks, co-directed by Eric Huskisson, every December 31st, Leslie, Brian, and Moses approach the company New Year’s party with dread, but this year their reluctance is about to collide with a nightmare no one could have predicted. Starring: Lily-Claire Harvey, Matthew Tichenor, Turner Vaughn, Dave Sheridan, Felissa Rose, Hannah Fierman, Kevin Duffy, Jeffrey Reddick, Roni Jonah and Warren Dean Fulton.
If you’re a horror fan, you’ll know by now that about 90% of the time in this genre, the opening scene tells you everything you need to know about both the film and its filmmakers. With New Fears Eve, the impression P.J. Starks and Eric Huskisson give is that they’re here for the fans. That opening carnage is sheer fan service, and not in the usual disgustingly commercial way, but it’s Starks and Huskisson announcing that they know what horror fans want, and they’re going to try and give it to you, and they do not disappoint.
Finding a comedy-horror that truly strikes the right balance, is not quite to the level of a unicorn but it’s certainly not common, so it’s a joy to find that New Fears Eve lands right on the money. Many will dismiss its gross sense of humour, while entirely skipping over the skill it takes to be gross and dumb, but also genuinely funny. There are some excellent lines and really solid jokes throughout the film, so to be able to able to thread those into its gross jokes, as well as providing some genuine dialogue that doesn’t feel generic or wooden, is something that Starks deserves a lot of credit for.
That ability to feel genuine in the slasher genre, and credit to the filmmakers for making New Fears Eve a true slasher rather than a boring serial killer-manhunt affair, is deceptively difficult. Granted, for some slashers, half the fun is being able to pick it apart and unabashedly trash it, but this is not one of those occasions, because it’s actually well made. The characters are great, they have individual personalities and friendship dynamics, none of which is a given in a slasher, and a delight to find, as it always helps to have characters to actually root for, instead of just waiting and hoping for them to meet their gruesome end.
A part of that is of course the performances from Lily-Claire Harvey, Matthew Tichenor and Turner Vaughn. Starting with giving them the attitude that they couldn’t care less about their jobs, which is inherently relatable. They have great banter, there’s flirtation, insults and actual chemistry. The sarcasm which oozes out of these performances is definitely a strength of New Fears Eve. They’re a ragtag bunch, they’re messy but still capable, which is the perfect combo for a film like this. No-one wants characters who instantly fall to pieces or somehow pull out marine-level skills from their back pocket, you want them to be able to fight but still hold onto the real risk that they could die, and that’s what you get here.
Then there’s the violence itself, another key element in a successful slasher, and it’s incredibly satisfying. The effects work is well done, the level of violence is excellent, it’s well spread throughout the film and has a good sense of creativity. The filmmakers throw in some nice references that most fans will catch all throughout the film. The overall style feels like 2020’s answer to 1980s slashers, side-stepping the exploitation, appreciating their intentionally trashy nature, and focusing on entertainment.
New Fears Eve is a fantastic comedy-horror, it’s fun, entertaining, well-paced, and truly feels like it comes from a place of loving and understanding horror. The writing is strong, maybe not everyone will appreciate it at face value, but take a second to look at the fact that it’s pulling off a varied sense of humour, a solid plot, an excellent villain, and adding a genuine layer of intrigue as it doesn’t reveal all of its secrets, and your respect for it may grow. There’s a great ensemble at work, led by Lily-Claire Harvey, Matthew Tichenor and Turner Vaughn. The plague doctor aesthetic was a great choice, it’s simple and very effective. P.J. Starks and Eric Huskisson understood the assignment and crafted a highly enjoyable homage to slasher cinema.
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