Review: DRIFTER gives the old bait and switch, but doesn’t take you far.
We’ve seen the classic Texas Chainsaw Massacre played out over the years. A family of cannibals who lure strangers into their home under the guise of helping a distressed member of the party. Add a little post-apocalyptic element and that’s essentially the plot of Chris von Hoffmann‘s new film Drifter. Written by Hoffmann and star Aria Emory, the official synopsis is as follows:
A pair of outlaw brothers are held captive in a desolate town run by a small family of psychotic cannibalistic lunatics and their sadistic Mayor.
The film is essentially a rehash in characters that you’d find in any Rob Zombie flick. Over the top, crass, and oftentimes just downright gross. There are a few elements I will give credit to. The quick cuts in the film’s first half are stylistically interesting and keep the pace on the right track. Once we enter the final location, that sort of dies out. The overexaggerated audio is something you’re either going to enjoy or loathe. The ending might be a tad unexpected… to someone. But the most respectable moment was the bait and switch when it comes to our leading man. It’s a real Marion Crane moment, so Bravo to Hoffmann and Emory for that very specific choice.
On the whole, I just didn’t care enough about the characters and I felt like it was nothing to write home about. Drifter opens in theaters Friday, Feb. 24th and can be found on VOD and iTunes Feb. 28th. Take a peek at the trailer below.