Blood Widow

Director - Jeremiah Buckhalt
Starring - Danielle Lilley (The Incubus), Brandon Kyle Peters (Tastings), and Gabrielle Ann Henry (Intrusive Behavior)
Release Date - 2014
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Die in silence"
Format - Streaming (online screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Slashers have always evolved since their conception in the 70s.  Though, it could take almost a decade for the formula to change, it still changes none-the-less. However, with all the changes over the years the modern slasher has decided to stop moving forward (due to fan backlash) and started looking back at a time when the slasher prospered.  Recently I was able to watch and review the modern slasher Axeman.  The film was a throwback to the slashers of the 80s but failed to capture that essence of the 80s.  I took a break from reviewing flicks for a few days but returned to Midnight Releasing with another slasher screener titled Blood Widow.  I knew nothing of the film before hand but the poster looked cool as hell so I was a little excited to see it.
     The film follows a young couple that purchase a secluded home out in a rural area.  As the couple unpack and get adjusted to their new home the man of the house has different plans and invite their friends over to party.  This upsets his wife but as the day progresses she becomes more and more open to the idea.  After everyone is ready to party they explore the property and discover an abandoned building nearby and decide to check it out.  A few of the people fuck around and bust the floor up before leaving.  This sets in motion a bloody killing spree when a white masked wearing starts stalking the party goers one by one in silence with deadly accuracy.
     Slashers are all about style but the style can vary.  Most slashers play out like a bloody mystery with unique kills and an even more unique killer.  Other slashers tend to be straight forward with a brutal killer with brutal kills.  These are the ones that have became popular in recent years and I am sure they will stay popular for several more.  There is a small amount of slashers that tend to be sleek and hits hard.  These are not that common but for the most part they tend to be poorly written and poorly executed.  That is the opposite of Blood Widow.  Blood Widow was sleek and fast but was not poorly written.  The film was actually fun and different when compared to all these other slashers with brooding killers.  The acting in this one is once again on the fence.  Some of the cast did a great job while others just seemed to not put forth much of an effort.  If the acting was straight across the board then the film would have been a little better.  The story for this one is just like so many other slashers.  Nothing really new or exciting but I did like the killer a lot.  The killer looks a little on the lame side but I loved how it was more of an assassin with fluid like movement instead of a hulking menace stumbling around slaughtering people.  Finally, the film has some great kills that are brutal but they were almost ruined with horrible CGI and visual effects.  The film also lacked practical effects to accompany the kills making that a bit of a let down.  Overall, Blood Widow is a fun little slasher that does not go down the beaten path.  This film, instead, carves it's own way into the slasher history book.  Check it out.