Award-winning director Marcel Walz (for his previous films, Blind and Pretty Boy) takes the helm for That’s a Wrap based on the script written by Joe Knetter (Blind, Pretty Boy) and Robert L. Lucas (One for the Fire: The Legacy of ‘Night of the Living Dead). The synopsis provided sounds interesting and reads: “The cast of a film arrive at a wrap party, but someone has dressed up as the slasher in the film and begins to stage their own kill scenes. One by one, the cast disappears until the true nature of the evening is revealed.” While the idea for this story is good, I was less enthusiastic about it after viewing the film.
I have seen many films over the years that have slashers on the loose, blood gushing, etc., but this slasher at the wrap party was not very convincing as a menace. Like in the “Giallo” style of film, this is described as the slasher carrying a large knife, but that wasn’t all he used. One scene bordering on having me laugh is when the slasher is stabbing one of the female victims; her screams were repeatedly at the same volume – no change in the sound. If someone is pierced with a huge knife in the chest area, they most likely can’t scream the same way after each stab to the lungs. On the positive side, there are one or two scenes where the slasher does more creative work, and fans may celebrate this.
No cell phones were allowed at the wrap party, nor did the crew members receive an invitation. There was dialogue among the actors, sharing their thoughts about careers and things to do/avoid, but it held little interest. There was not enough for me to care about any of the characters. The director is Mason (Robert Donavan); his wife, Lily (Monique Parent, Jurassic City), an actress who hasn’t had much work lately; Troy (Brandon Patricio), who has the leading man role and gets intimate with another male actor; Amber (Gigi Gustin, The Retaliators), an actress with a strong personality; and Stoney (Steve J Owens), who lives to get stoned until the end. Jamie (Adam Bucci) is a fellow who has enough money to buy his role in the film to become “a star”; there is the actress who has the fully naked scene, Molly (Eve Marlowe), and the shower scene that may appear as if it was from a few decades ago.
This story may appeal to some horror fans, but if fans want something more original and not so predictable, this may be one to watch once and continue your search among films.
Additional cast: Cerina Vincent (Cabin Fever), Sarah French (Space Wars: The Quest for Deepstar), and Dave Sheridan (The Devil’s Rejects)
Runtime: 94 minutes Country: US
THAT’S A WRAP is scheduled to be released on digital platforms on August 25th, 2023, from Quiver Distribution.
Source: Quiver Distribution, Neon Noir