What’s It About
In this satirical political slasher, a small town is shaken by a series of ominous killings in the days leading up to a heated mayoral election. As accusations fly and the threat of a masked killer darkens every street corner, the residents must race to uncover the truth before fear consumes the town.
MOVIESinMO REVIEW
Founders Day tries to use horror as a gateway to explore relevant topics like grief, politics, and mental illness. However, the film struggles to weave its multiple story threads together. Though central to the plot, the dialogue feels wooden, and the small-town politics lack engagement. The result is a horror film with exciting ideas that never fully come together cohesively. Mayor Gladwell and her competitor Harold Faulkner engage in small-town politics in the sleepy town of Fairwood. However, the political antagonism never reaches a climax. Instead, a series of bloody murders disrupt the lives of Fairwood’s teenagers, with Melissa, Harold’s daughter, being the first victim. The film introduces Adam, Melissa’s brother, and his relationships but fails to effectively build depth or explore character motivations. The kill scenes in the movie, while attempting to be gruesome, lack the impact needed for emotional investment. The accidental death involving Adam stands out but disappoints due to the filmmakers not making enough of it. The film’s attempt to deepen grief in the town falls short as it doesn’t delve deep enough into the characters’ emotions. The characters lack depth and often feel like caricatures. The poor acting choices and the film’s self-serious tone hinder its overall impact. While William Russ’ performance as Mr. Jackson provides grounding, the script introduces too many red herrings and plot twists, leading to a confusing big reveal. The plot revolves around battling mayoral candidates too caught up in winning elections to fulfill promises. The masked murderer’s killing spree starts with Faulkner’s daughter, Melissa, exploring themes of politicians and their empty vows. However, the film tries to do too much, introducing more than one killer and creating loose threads. The ending attempts to tie up loose ends but leaves the audience indifferent rather than horrified. The pacing is fine, and the horror elements include gruesome kills and a masked killer with a judge’s gavel as a murder weapon. While the jump scares are decent, the film fails to engage with its campy potential fully. Founders Day had the premise to be engaging, but its execution lacks clarity in intentions, resulting in a film that struggles to grasp its full potential.
OUR RATING – A BLOOD WASTED 2
MEDIA
- Genre – Horror
- Street date
- Digital – May 7, 2024.
- DVD/Blu-Ray – June 4, 2024
- Video – 1080p
- Screen size – 2.39:1
- Sound – English: Dolby Digital 5.1, English: Dolby Digital 2.0
- Subtitles – English SDH
Extras
- none