Fresh Hell

source: Fresh Hell

I enjoyed it very much until the end. I HATE HATE HATE movies that never give the audience the motivation or reason for the villain's actions. That is called TRICKING THE AUDIENCE and it is nothing but irritating. It's one thing to "give the audience something to think about", but when the movie never gives a motive, it ruins it for me. Sorry, but the ending ruined what could have been a better-than-decent horror flick.

I walked into "Fresh Hell" with no idea what the film was going to be about and found myself surprised in the best way. "Fresh Hell" starts off as a fairly light, comedic take on the awkward COVID-era Zoom get-togethers and works well in that respect. The characters are clearly delineated for maximum comic effect and are well-cast across the board. Lanise Antoine Shelley as Grace really grounds the proceedings with her realistic, subtle performance. A lot of the humor is topical and will age fairly quickly, but it's quickly sidelined by the appearance of the Stranger (Ryan Imhoff, in a delightfully unhinged performance) and the film quickly dives headfirst into psychological terror and gruesome shock horror. There are moments that are genuinely disgusting and hilarious at the same time and I was switching between laughing out loud and trying not to look at the screen. Directors Imhoff and Ryan Neal wring a surprising amount of suspense out of a series of video calls. And then the film pivots yet again, broadening its perspective by letting its characters leave their screens just as the Zoom format becomes limiting. The third act shifts in tone as well, culminating in a metaphysical discussion and battle of wits between Grace and the Stranger, who monologues in true villain fashion. It's subtle and thoughtful and theatrical and yet still works in the context of the film as a whole. The bottom line is, on paper, none of this should work. The Zoom format, the shock horror, the stage play nature of the finale - in lesser hands, this could have been a mess. But the production is solid, the performances are excellent across the board, and in the end, the film actually has something to say. Even the use of COVID-era imagery and sounds work to bookend the film and ground it in a real time and place. It's not for the faint of heart, but for fans of thoughtful terror, "Fresh Hell" is absolutely worth the watch.

I would recommend this movie to anyone who is a horror head, like me and is looking for something new, offbeat, and fun. It captures the complete insanity of what was 2020 and put a scary spin on it. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time. The perfect balance of utterly terrifying and ridiculously hilarious. This movie is a good one to watch with friends or alone in the dark if you do dare. AMAZING casting and amazing performancesfrom all of the actorsand actresses. Bravo Ryan Imhoff and Matt Neal for creating one HELL of a movie. You can tell a lot of hard work and effort was put into it. How long must I wait for a "Fresh Hell 2"?

Absolutely loved the new weird twisted horror in this movie. Definitely worth your time! I was warned as well going in that this was a weird horror movie and it is weird in the best of ways. It is so much fun from start to finish. Watch this movie!!

Ryan Imhoff, manages to bring Zoom into the horror movie genre in a unique and brilliant way. His performance throughout the movie and especially at the last scene is unrivaled. Excellent dance performance by Christina Reis. The movie is not only creepy but has deep meaning and makes you think. Very worthwile watching! Is there a "Fresh Hell 2" in the works? I certainly hope so.

I thought this movie was a great commentary on 2020. It was a bad year for everyone, but it was particularly bad for our hero Grace and her group of friends. The movie echoes so much of the real life horror that we all experienced, but takes it to the extreme with a psychopathic killer who enjoys inflicting pain, both real and psychological, on his victims. This movie is not for the squeamish. But Fresh Hell is a fresh take on the horror genre, and I highly recommend it.

I wasn't prepared for what I witnessed watching Fresh Hell and it certainly makes me think twice about zoom! With a story that is relevant to what we're dealing with today, this film knocks it out of the park and leaves your stomach churning along that way!

From the moment the players (actors?) Started popping up on the screen I knew I was in for a bad time. Overacting, hamming, scenery chewing was the backbone to an uninteresting story. Each individual was more over the top than the next. Dialogue that is meaningless and just words to fill the time. Cursing, mania, sadness, all came together with the most annoying people possibly on the planet. I truly wanted to turn it off after five minutes however I stuck with it to see if there was anything redeeming. Nope, nothing. It didn't need a director, editor, soundman. It seemed sloppily put together that everyone seemed tortured to finish their roles. Throw in social justice speak; I'm checking my priveledge, I donated to BLM, Covid was still thought to be a deadly plague (sorry folks who insist it is still deadly) have destroyed any future for this piece of work. It didn't age well in 1 year. In a few years ago it will be a non horror story that was based on useless information and the worst acting I've seen in years. Be afraid of bordom and watching people try and act. Not one person was believable.

Original, timely, unrelenting, and teetering perfectly from the hillarious to the horrifying. This film takes you on quite a ride leading up to an unforgettable third act. Loved it! Horror fans mustn't miss this movie!