Throwback slasher flicks aren’t anything new, but “Dead Teenagers,” the third film in director Quinn Armstrong’s “Fresh Hell” trilogy, certainly succeeds in capturing the aesthetic of the 1980s. While it may not be wholly successful in its narrative, this vibrant, candy-colored homage to the era of neon and big hair completely nails the pop visuals of the time.
With a structure borrowing heavily from “Groundhog Day,” the film tells the story of a group of teens (Jordan Myers, Angel Ray, Tony White, Maya Jeyam) who are stalked by a masked killer in the woods (Chris Hahn). In order to escape the cabin where they are holed up, the friends must complete the script of the movie they are currently trapped in. The premise is a little intriguing, especially because the “movie within a movie” concept can be fun. Unfortunately, it doesn’t always land here, at times dragging the pacing down to almost a standstill. It takes a lot of patience to get through this one because the gimmick of the teens being trapped in a horror movie script is clever but feels overly familiar, as if the film is treading on well-worn ground without bringing much new to the table.
Armstrong has a keen eye for horror visuals, and the slasher sequences are really well done. He understands what makes horror films tick, even if this one stumbles a bit in other areas. The strong visual style can only carry the film so far, and the lack of engaging characters leaves everything feeling hollow.
The shortage of character development is a serious problem, and the superficial cast of usual suspects (including the dumb jock, the cool and popular girl, the creepy religious freak) feels stale and boring. Most are so uninteresting and one-dimensional that it’s hard to care about their fate.
I’m not even sure fans of slasher flicks will find a lot to love here, but at least the 80s nostalgia is well done. Despite a mildly promising setup, “Dead Teenagers” is too familiar to stand out from the crowd.
By: Louisa Moore
Screen Zealots 