Most Horrible Things is the directorial debut of Hiroshi Katagari, and it tells the story of six young strangers who are invited to a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. An exclusive dinner party hosted by a charming and enigmatic host on the most romantic night of the year, Valentine’s Day – having nothing to lose and everything to gain, or so they think, they accept the invites. Lured by the promise of romantic connections and a substantial financial reward of ten thousand dollars – these optimistic house guests come together in the hope of finding true love. But all is not what it seems, and when their host reveals their dangerous and ultimately deadly secrets – the promise of romance proves to be far deadlier.
As the body count stacks up the viewer is asked – who’s really behind all this and is everyone as forthcoming as they seem?
Hiroshi Katagari has been behind the stunning special effects of some of the biggest movies and franchises to date. You have no doubt seen his work in films like Captain Marvel, War Of The Worlds, Jurassic Park and is even part of the upcoming Avatar: Shape Of Water. With Most Horrible Things Katagari is dipping his toe into the world of genre films with his sophomore effort, stepping behind the camera to tell his own story.
Regretfully, Most Horrible Things falls flat on the promise of being “deliciously dark and gloriously gory” and its tagline of “this might just be one of the Most Horrible Things you’ve seen in a long time” seems to be an indictment of the movie on the whole.
“Not every horror movie needs to have buckets of blood, but if it’s sold as “gloriously gory,” it’s effectively conditioning you to expect claret to be thrown around. Given this man has brought a T-Rex to life, what is offered up is more than underwhelming”.
The dialogue leaves a lot to be desired, and its delivery is a little stilted – he is an effects guy, and this is his debut, after all. Even Sean Patrick Flannery (Powder, The Boondock Saints) who shows up as a Sonny Crockett-esque cop isn’t safe from the script in this otherwise milquetoast “horror” movie. The “horror” when it does happen is brief and the gore levels promised are nowhere to be seen – we are treated to three deaths, and two of those are just accidents. Not every horror movie needs to have buckets of blood, but if it’s sold as “gloriously gory,” it’s effectively conditioning you to expect claret to be thrown around. Given this man has brought a T-Rex to life, what is offered up is more than underwhelming.
Indie horror – indeed horror, in general, can be somewhat of a minefield. Especially first-time outings for directors. Some can be lightning in a bottle and go on to achieve cult status like House Of The Devil or The Guest but many end up feeling like they are on the highway to the level occupied by Uwe Boll. Don’t get me wrong I absolutely love “bad” horror movies, laughing at the absurdity of them and their dodgy special effects but Most Horrible Things sadly has neither. Which disappoints given the director’s credentials.
To be entirely fair, this is a debut film, one that is ambitious in using the name ‘Most Horrible Things’. It’s making it easy for reviewers to come up with a harsh headline. While as raw as any debut, and divisive in its stylings, or lack of – the issue is a simple one. The film was marketed as one thing and the reality is another and that divide is simply too big for the film to come to terms with.
MOST HORRIBLE THINGS IS OUT NOW ON DIGITAL PLATFORMS
