GHOST KILLERS VS. BLOODY MARY vs. Your Intelligence

GHOST KILLERS VS. BLOODY MARY (2018)

Starring Danilo Gentili, Leo Lins, Murilo Couto, Dani Calabresa, Barbara Bruno, Pietra Quintela, Jose Suqueira Barros, Digao Ribeiro. Directed by Fabricio Bittar. (103 min)

ON DVD FROM DARK SKY FILMS

Review by Josey, the Sudden Cat😾

I’m sure some viewers out there will find the idea of a demon-possessed turd absolutely hilarious. And yeah, I suppose there are those who’ve always wanted to see a resurrected fetus lasso a poor rube with its umbilical cord and piss on his face.

Well, here’s the movie you’ve been waiting for. No brain required.

Ghost Killers vs. Bloody Mary is an uninhibited take on a classic urban legend. A batch of phony ghost hunters are offered a job ridding a local high school of the titular demon. Desperate for cash, they accept the job. However, Bloody Mary turns out to be real, capable of possessing people at random so they can kill on her behalf. Trapped inside the building with a few other staff members, they try to find a way out while recording everything for their YouTube show.

"Hey, kid. Does this look infected?"

Not even remotely scary, the film aims for both the funny bone and the gag reflex, suggesting director Fabricio Bittar drew considerable inspiration from early Peter Jackson films. As such, his own little opus is loaded with geysers of blood, gore and a variety of other gross-out gags involving bodily functions. The cast is game and does their job admirably, but there’s an air of desperation in the film’s constant attempt to shock the viewers, as though over-the-top outrageousness is inherently funny.

Peter Jackson – and even Lloyd Kaufman, on occasion – managed to counter their excesses with clever touches and engaging characters. Conversely, simply tossing-in heavy-handed self-awareness and pop culture references doesn’t elevate this film above any other calculated bid to amuse 15 year old boys.

But I suspect I had some of you at “demon-possessed turd.” If that’s the case, Ghost Killers vs. Bloody Mary has a shitload of such humor (pun intended). Admittedly, many of these scenes are pretty well executed and the make-up effects are decent for a low-budget film. Still, the entire thing is relentlessly juvenile and grows repetitive pretty quickly.

KITTY CONSENSUS:

MEH...LIKE SHARING THE BED WITH THE DOG.