Solo Review: Amusement (2009)

Sub-Genre- Slasher
In Attendance- Me, and an odd clown statue in the corner that I don't remember seeing before...  
Cast Members of Note- Katheryn Winnick, and awesome character actor, Kevin Gage.

This movie is told in Anthology form; in the first story, a couple traveling the highway at night decides to reenact Tokyo Drift, and play some chicken with a semi and another car; In the second, a creepy-as-hell clown creeps around, and creeps everybody out, creepily; In the third, a dumb chick goes home with a guy living in a homeless shelter, and her even dumber friend goes looking for her when she ends up missing.

She makes horror movie lightning way less creepy, right?

There is a point to all of this, which doesn't make much sense once the three stories are intertwined together at the end of the movie; something about a kid in grade school being creepy and everyone not "getting" his sense of humor... I don't know. Anyways, they're all grown up now, and the poor-sport is out for revenge against the three sluts who ridiculed him in 4th grade.

That is some elaborate revenge.

Does he kill them all and get the last laugh? Was it him who shot the massive holes in the script with a .22? Am I the only one that thinks the hot blond chick looks like Elisha Cuthbert? I won't spoil the ending here, but suffice it to say that many, many things make no sense by the time the credits begin to roll.

Yeah, we felt a lot liks that.

If you can forgive some of the standard Horror cliches used, ignore the gaping plot holes, and accept that some people are REALLY stupid when it comes to knowing what to do it life or death situations, then this is a pretty good little movie. Amusement does a good job of creating tension, in some parts more than others, and especially the second story involving the clown; I haven't been that creeped out by a movie in a long time. Too bad the rest of the movie didn't quite maintain that level of tension.

Another thing worth noting is that Katheryn Winnick did a great job in the lead role here; not only is she very easy to look at, but she held her own acting-wise, and I can't wait to see her (hopefully) in some more genre stuff.

Why is she doing jazz-hands while she screams?

Is there anything about clowns that isn't effing creepy?

100% creepy.

*SPOILER WARNING* Some of the things that happened in this movie just made no sense... chief amongst them, the killer's motivation; truly weak, weak, weak. Because they didn't think his art project was funny when they were kids, he comes back years later to off the three of them? And the part with the hotel... how did he get upstairs and change so quick? The part with the trucker... how did he end up at the old farm so conveniently? And what if the chick hadn't jumped to begin with... I can see why this one sat on the shelf for the better part of two years. *END SPOILERS*

Also, the gloryhole scene felt forced.

This film is full of disturbing images, some of which are pretty gory, especially more towards the end. Eye violence, gutting, stabbings, even a rat gets messed up! (Poor little rat.)

Damn, dude.

 

Not a bit of skin from any of the Hotties in this flick.

Never mess with the weird kid in school. Also, Don't bother calling 911 to help you, because you can get to the bottom of things yourself!

... or maybe you should just call 911.

I'm really torn between how much I liked the parts that worked in Amusement, and how much I hated the ones that didn't; it was well made, shot, acted and had some seriously creepy moments, but the plot holes... Aw hell, give it a rent, it's mostly satisfying as it is. Mostly.

C+

Amusement is available now on Blu-ray, DVD, and VOD.

Katheryn Winnick is in this!