Review Shudder’s ‘Vicious Fun’: Neon and Nostalgia for this Bloody Horror-Comedy

Vicious Fun is now streaming on Shudder. Warning Spoilers Ahead! New wave music, Neon lighting, Falcon’s Crest, Member’s only jackets and Beta Max, all things that made the 80’s great. Well, at least New Wave, and neon can be cool too. The others are luckily 80’s staples I was too young for.

But set a horror-comedy about a self-help group for serial killers’ smack dab in 1983, and I can’t get enough of the nostalgia. No matter how much it reminds me of embarrassing childhood photos I would soon like to forget. Writer James Villeneuve and director Cody Calahan (The Oak Room) did just that in their 2020 slasher satire Vicious Fun that premiered this week on Shudder.

Joel (Evan Marsh, Shazam!) is a “Horror Journalist” for ‘Vicious Fanatics’, a Fangoria type magazine, who thinks he’s the smartest person in the room when it comes to the genre. Totally awkward when it comes to women, especially his roommate Sarah (Alexa Rose Steele), whom he is completely in love with and perfect for (in his own mind of course). When Sarah comes home from a date, he’s curious of this new suitor and after witnessing him put on a wedding ring as he drives away. So he decides to follow him in a taxi, as any sane person does. 

After eventually ending up at a Chinese Restaurant on the edge of town he proceeds to cozy up at the bar and strike up a conversation with this stranger. With recorder in pocket, he sets out to expose this creep for what he is and to win the affection of his beloved. Things do not go as planned.

Meet Bob (Ari Miller: The Oak Room, Orphan Black), a sociopathic narcissist real estate salesman, who feels like he fell out of the pages of American Psycho, right down to the love of business cards and rain slickers. Joel doesn’t get the dirt he was hoping for, but he does get stiffed with a bar tab and quickly abandoned. Alone and depressed, he drinks, and drinks, and drinks some more. Concluding with him passing out in a broom closet as the restaurant is eventually locked up for the night with Joel inside. But he’s not alone as he’ll find out.

Hungover and confused, Joel finds himself crashing what appears to be a self-help group, but this isn’t for drug abuse or alcoholism, no, this group is for serial killers looking to hone their craft. Mistaken for the newest member Phil, he is welcomed into the circle and asked to share. It’s here that he is introduced to the menagerie of characters before him. 

Fritz (Julian Richings: Supernatural, Anything for Jackson) is an accountant by day and a deranged clown fetishist killer by night. Hideo (Sean Baek: Killjoys) is a ninja assassin with a taste for human flesh, and organs. Mike (Robert Maillet: 300, Sherlock Holmes: A Game of Shadows) is a “Rage monster with Mommy issues”, who likes killing sorority girls and summer camp counselors with a machete. Sound familiar?

Zachary (David Koechner: Anchorman, ‘The Goldbergs’) a government death squad agent, who enjoys his work a little too much, is leading this evenings discussion. Carrie (Amber Goldfarb: My Mother’s Killer Boyfriend) the lone female killer, is cold, calculating and full of secrets. She’s as deadly, if not more so, than any of her male counterparts, with maybe one exception. Bob shows back up as the final member of this motley crew and starts all kinds of trouble for Joel stating, “Gentlemen, we’re about to have a LOT of fun tonight.”

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Playing on troupes of the 80’s slasher films, Vicious Fun acknowledges the sub-genres and pays homage without poking too much fun at the gaps in logic of these classics (slow moving killer always catches up, running outside when a strange noise is heard, etc.). If you’re knowledgeable in the genre, there’s a lot of inside bits to make one nod approvingly. Beyond that, it’s just fast paced and fun.

The cast play off one another effortlessly and really go for it. My favorite scene involves Bob, a jukebox playing Disco by Sextile and a plan for mischief.  Although it doesn’t take itself too seriously, Vicious Fun was clearly made by people who love horror. They found a clever way to show their respect in a story that is both original and wildly entertaining. 

Vicious Fun is hilarious, self-aware and gruesome at times, it knows what it wants to be and delivers. Exploring the fragility of the male ego, the lead and supporting cast can feel a bit like cartoons or caricatures at times. But Carrie is always there with a few words of wisdom that hopefully don’t fall on deaf ears. The filmmakers set up a partnership that could lend itself to a sequel, but if not, the movie still feels complete on its own. Here’s hoping the genre fans embrace what the filmmakers were going for and enjoy the ride. Remember, if you ever find yourself waking up in a janitor’s closet, sometimes it’s best just to stay there until morning. 4/5

★★★★

Vicious Fun is now streaming only on Shudder, you can check out the trailer below. As always be sure to follow ScaryNerd for more of all things horror, sci-fi and more.