The Embalmers

Director - Rebecca Rinehart (Faces of the Dead, Bloody Hooker Massacre)

Starring - Alyss Winkler (Slaughterhouse Slumber Party, Amazon Hot Box), Rob Mello (Happy Death Day, Trailer Park Shark), and Andrea Collins (The Hospital, Seven Screaming Women)

Release Date - 2021

Genre - Horror

Tagline - "They'll seal your fate"

Format - DVD (Personal Collection)

Rating (out of 5):

     Last year was one of the most chaotic and dividing times of my life and I'm sure it was that way for everyone.  Watching businesses close due to the pandemic while the uneducated and selfish masses argue with scientists over the use of masks really made me dislike the human race.  However, last year was not all bad.  Several filmmakers took the time to finish projects or launch new ones while the world was on lockdown.  Indie starlet Rebecca Rinehart used this time to crowd fund her directorial debut The Embalmers starring Alyss Winkler, Rob Mello, and Andrea Collins just to name a few.  The artwork sold me on the movie but with so many crowd funding campaigns going at once I forgot to snag a copy.  A few weeks ago others were showing off their copies of the film so I reached out to Rinehart and she hooked me up with a DVD.  After spinning Evil Everywhere I decided it was the perfect time to check it out.

     The film follows three siblings who run a funeral home.  Cy, Mae, and Billie have been over the funeral parlor for sometime now and it's because of a pat with a voodoo priest that they are able to remain young and service the members of the community. However, things get a bit messy when another voodoo practitioner moves in the area and uses two local idiots to help her obtain blood sacrifices.  This conflict of interest brings the two parties together for a fight that would seal the fate of the small community

     I find it strange how there is a lack of horror films centered around funeral homes and mortuaries.  Sure, we have The Undertaker and his Pals, Tales from the Hood, Mortuary Collection, and Mortuary but when you consider the how many horror films are out there you would be surprised how this perfect setting for a horror tale is rarely used.  That was my biggest draw to The Embalmers aside from the amazing poster.  The acting in this one is extremely awkward at times.  The cast works very well together.  They are comfortable with one another and you can see the chemistry between them all.  However, the dialogue delivery and emotional range in a lot of the scenes falls flat.  The story for this one is very bold and ambitious especially for an indie production from a first time filmmaker.  What we get is a movie with a lot of moving parts that makes for a clunky film that not only drags on but fails to fully capture what the story is trying to say.  In a perfect world Rinehart would have been able to fully explore every aspect of this awesome story she had penned.  However, the way the story is now just feels like a table reading with alternative models.  I found myself very underwhelmed and disappointed in what could have been with this story.  Finally, this is not a bloody or gory flick.  We get some great make-up effects on the cadavers in the film along with some minimal practical effects that look solid.  With that being said, we do get some goofy visual effects that stand out like a sore thumb.  Overall, The Embalmers is a film that looked great on paper but the film it's was a tough one to finish.  The movie may move at a snail's pace but the film itself feels rushed.  With that being said, I can't wait to see what Rinehart and company has in store for us next.