Flowers

Director - Phil Stevens
Starring - Colette Kenny Mckenna, Krystle Fitch, and Anastasia Blue
Release Date - 2014
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "...it is in the silence"
Format - Streaming (online screener)

Rating (out of 5):

     Extreme horror.  These two words drive most horror fans wild but I am the complete opposite.  I can take my horror many different ways but it all comes down to story.  I like my horror with extremely over-the-top stories and off-the-wall characters.  I can also dig serious horror films that are real in nature but take a horrifying turn.  However, one type of film I normally do not like is a gore-filled flick with absolutely no story and tons of gore just for the sake of having gore.  I love gore but it has to fit the film.  A few nights back I came across a film on Facebook simply titled Flowers.  The film had to be a real nightmare to have a title that simple and non-threatening.  I reached out to director Phil Stevens and he was nice enough to send me a review link.  Thanks Phil for giving me a chance to check it out!

     The film follows six women who find themselves in a crawl space under a real house of horrors.  The girls have to make their way through blood, guts and filth until they reach the house.  Once inside they are subjected to trials and tortures before revealing how they ended up there and what happened to them once they arrived.

     Before I started watching Flowers I knew it would be a very extreme horror flick but I had no idea what the film was about or what the subject matter was.  I was afraid the film would be an extreme horror flick with no story and buckets of gore to serve no purpose but to discuss the viewer.  When I first started watching the film I was afraid I was correct but once the film was said and done the film did come full circle revealing one hell of a damn good story.  The acting in this film is actually hard to judge due to the way in which the film was shot.  None of the cast members really interact with one another but they do hold their own scenes very well making it easier for the film to flow.  The story for this one starts out excruciatingly slow.  I was afraid that I would not be able to finish it but by the mid-way point in the film it had gained a very good momentum and was able to hold my attention.  The story was fun but it is a hash up of several other stories we have seen before.  I will leave it at that for fear of spoiling this film's experience.  Finally, this film showcases some of the most impressive practical effects I have seen in a long time.  The film has guts by the bucket full and they look great.  We do have a few on screen kills but, for once, that does nothing when you consider all the gore we have before the deaths.  Overall, Flowers is one impressive horror film.  This film is gore-soaked and disgusting and I mean that in a good way.  This film was made for sick fucks so if you consider yourself one then please check it out!