Horror tends to run in cycles. The 80s had the anthologies. The 90s were a bit more meta with their approach. The 00s were jam-packed with the remakes. What was next?
The more I had begun to investigate it – the more I had begun to realize. The 2010s were the decade of anthologies. Think about it – we had ABCs of Death, Tales of Halloween, V/H/S, and All Hallow’s Eve are a few of the examples of anthologies that we’ve had.
Joining those films, I am proud to say is Weird Fiction.
Directed and Writen by Jacob Perrett, Weird Fiction is a delightful throwback to the anthology films of the 80s. It oozes the tone, atmosphere, and energy of those 80s anthology films in such a wonderful way. It feels like it could even be a long lost 80s anthology film. And that is one of its greatest strengths.
Our host of Weird Fiction is none other than “The Collector”, wonderfully played by Perrett. He gleefully channels his inner-crypt keeper as he introduces each of the film’s segments. It’s actually refreshing to see “The Collector” be such an integral part of the film – as it helps it stand out among the other anthology films.
First up of The Collector’s four segments is “Goodnight, Daddy” starring Carson Jones, Matt Nale, Isabella Rodriguez, Taylor Rhoades and Christian Styborski. It is a throwback to the 80s slasher in the form of “Father”. While the story is very simple, this segment was very strong in building its characters in the short time that it had. But another of its strengths is that it doesn’t spell out the backstories for them, allowing the audience to perhaps build their own backstory for them. I can attest that I had built a ‘headcanon’ for the motivations of “Father”. In my initial viewing of the film, this was a stand out as my favorite.
Next up was “Night of the Sitter” starring Taylor Rhoades, Matt Nale, Danielle Rhoades, and Mackenzie Anthony. It revolves around the idea of ‘What happens when a night of babysitting gets out of hand?’. While I initally had thought the story in this segment was going to go in one direction, Perrett was able to surprise me in the direction that it ultimately led. This story had a feeling of the family films of the 80s (Goonies, looking at you.). The one drawback I found, and it really could be seen as a strength, was that it felt too short. I found myself wishing to see more of these characters.
Our third segment was one that I did not see coming in “The Incubus” starring Taylor Rhoades, Torri Bouslough, Caleb Bish, Rose Spencer and Ashley Smith. It channels the vampire films of the 80s in a completely original direction – the exploits of a Vampire Porn Star. While that may lead one to think that there would be nudity, there is none. And honestly, there did not need to be as it would have taken away from the story. My only complaint with “The Incubus” is that it felt a little long. Don’t get me wrong, it has good characters. But the pacing seemed to be only a hair or two off.
And the final segment “Cosmic Terror” starring Isabella Rodriguez, Rylee Prenatt, Taylor Rhoades, Colten Phillips and Roe Spencer showcases the downfall of the human race. This segment had showcased a plethora of tones. Initially, it had the feeling of “E.T.”. but as it progressed it began to turn into the nightmare of “Evil Dead”. This was a strong story and it continued to pull me in as each moment had passed.
While those are all brief rundowns of the segments, it is because I strongly do not wish to spoil the stories – doing so would ruin the experience Weird Fiction is seeking to provide.
The acting, in some instances, were a bit hit or miss. But it did not pull me out of the film. It actually added to the illusion that this was from a bygone era. The music was another highlight. It felt very fitting and never took me out of the film.
Thank you to Jacob Perrett (Writer/Director) and Taylor Rhoades (Producer) for crafting such an enjoyable throwback to the films of old. It left me a bit surprised where the story would go and had memorable characters.
I highly recommend Weird Fiction as it is an experience like no other. It manages to encapsulate the 80s experience in such a fantastic way. And perhaps may even leave you looking forward to what comes next – hopefully this is only the beginning.
Final Score: 8.5 out of 10.
Weird Fiction can be found on Tubi and available to buy from Amazon.
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