Starring - Felissa Rose (Sleep away Camp, XXX-Mas), Chaney Morrow (Happy Slashers, Wrong Turn), and Billy Culbertson (Woods Witch, Amityville Bigfoot)
Release Date - 2023
Genre - Horror
Tagline - "Small Town. Large body count..."
Format - Bluray (Personal Collection)
Rating (out of 5):
I've been a fan of Scream Team Releasing for some time now. The Barn was my introduction to them and from there I've added every release to my collection. I may not always get to watch and review them in a timely manner but I'm never skipping a release of theirs. A few months back I snagged a copy of their 2023 slasher Late Checkout from director Josh Graves. I wasn't able to check it out when I got it but I made sure to add it to my annual October horror binge.
The film follows a group of adults who return to their small hometown to rent a cabin for a little get together. What they don't know is that their small town has recently became the playground for a killer wearing a welding mask. Once they get in and settled they soon find themselves in the cross hair of the killer.
I knew very little about Late Checkout going into it but I enjoyed it for the most part. While it was a very middle of the road slasher, it was still fun and a great addition to my October horror binge. The acting in this one is a bit stiff. The cast struggles at times to deliver their dialogue in a genuine tone. I several scenes the interactions are void of emotion and feels as if they are simply rehearsing their lines instead of getting into character. A few of the later scenes have more authentic performances from the cast but for the most part it feels as if they were tossed in front of the camera without any sort of rehearsal. The story for this one doesn't give genre fans something knew to enjoy. In fact, this week alone I've seen and reviewed three different films following a group of twenty-somethings going to a cabin in the woods where they meet their demise. Of the three that I've seen this is one of two slashers that feature almost identical stories. While Late Checkout did mix it up and feature a traditional masked slasher, it was not as memorable as other slasher icons. The welding mask does work in a traditional sense but completely takes away any sort of recognition that other masks give the slasher. With that being said, it is very refreshing seeing a modern slasher film go back to the basics. Finally, the film has plenty of make-up and practical effects. The kills are extremely gnarly and on theme with the slasher theme but I would have loved some gore in this one. Fans of traditional slashers will truly appreciate the amount of blood and great practical effects we are given. Overall, Late Checkout is another paint by numbers slasher that falls into the spectrum of what I refer to as Walmart horror. I hate to use this word but it's a mediocre slasher with an unforgettable slasher and a story I've seen so many times before. While it was a solid watch, I could recommend 10 others slashers from just last year that would be more fun than this one.
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