Killer Rental, the feature film written and directed by Ben Hausdorff and Jonathan Kadin, had an exclusive screening at the first annual Austin Horror Film Festival this weekend. Killer Rental was among the films offered at the 25th edition of the Chicago Horror Film Festival in late September and was nominated for Best Feature. The film was just nominated for Best Feature at the Austin Horror Film Festival as well and after viewing it, it is worthy of the nominations.
Jonathan Kadin (director/writer/producer) and James MacKinnon (producer/special effects) attended the festival and spoke during a Q&A. They stated that what began during the pandemic with an idea slowly evolved into the feature that was filmed in Joshua Tree California, away from the bustling city of Los Angeles. What began as a very micro-budget feature and they had some initial auditions, the choice was made to increase the expense for casting the individuals for various characters.
The decision paid off as the cast selected for each character was very good, portraying friends who gather for the weekend getaway in a remote place. The cast may have not known each other before the shoot, but the interaction among them appears very authentic with the group composed of both long term friends and others who joined in more recently. There is enough humor as well among the crowd to keep the audience entertained and lighten the script in between the time the group discovers there is an uninvited individual among them. There are a couple of exceptional scenes that I would like to mention, but I am not about to spoil it now. I know there are others in the audience who are also impressed by the cast according to the questions that arose during the limited Q&A about this casting by Monica Kelly and Jennifer Treadwell.
James Mackinnon is an Emmy Award winning special effects make-up and prosthetics artist who has worked on more than 60 films and 70 television shows, including recent horror titles like MaXXXine and American Horror Story. This film features his spine-chilling makeup.
The cinematography by Taylor Pelletier was also very good with the great use of the landscape in the remote area of the state, as well as the sunrise and sunsets providing great lighting for various characters either alone or with others. The Costume Design is by Carolina Ruiz Ramirez and the selections are great for the respective characters – some who prefer being in front of the camera and others who prefer to not be in the limelight as much as others.
Cast: Taylor Cooper (Kayla), Tyler Lofton (Aaron), Lindsay Arnold (Lauren), Matt Mitchell (Noah), Ryan Lucy (Mina), Megan Lawless (Jenny), Mea Wilkerson (Chloe), Wyatt Hinz (Chase), Alonzo B. Slater (Mike), Momo Bedier (Derek). Note: Wyatt Hinz is an actor in the film I Hate Myself and Want to Die which will be screening at the upcoming Austin Film Festival, starting October 24th.
About: A group of friends rent a vacation home in Joshua Tree to enjoy the desert sun and party at night. But soon after their arrival, secrets emerge and relationships fracture, all under the watch of hidden cameras recording their every move. When one of the friends disappears, the rest are left stranded in this remote place, only to discover that a deranged killer stalks, trapping them as victims in a larger, twisted plan.
The film will travel to additional film festivals and to learn more about the film and their journey, visit their page on Instagram: killerrentalthemovie
Source: Austin Horror Film Festival, Chicago Horror Film Festival, IMDb