Director: Adam Egypt Mortimer
Cast: Ronen Rubinstein, Grace Phipps, Noah Segan, Sierra McCormick
Certificate: 18
Running Time: 84 minutes
Having been around for years, the slasher flick has been overrun with men – Freddy, Jason, Leatherface, Michael Myers… all men, but now in Some Kind of Hate we get a female to rival them all. Moira, played by Sierra McCormick, is a vengeful spirit who steps in to help Lincoln (Rubinstein) when he finds himself tormented by his fellow students. Her weapons of choice are her own body and the razor blade. The female of the species really is more deadly than the male.
There are more differences than just Moira’s gender. Unlike her counterparts she doesn’t need to hide behind a mask, or stalk around in the shadows. Moira is defiant in her mission and won’t let anyone stand in her way. And rather than hunting promiscuous, air-headed teens, Moira has a much more specific prey – bullies.
Some Kind of Hate offers a new and much needed spin on the slasher story. Some very interesting and relevant themes are delved into as the film addresses self-harm and bullying. This is a slasher flick with a message. At the core of the film is the message that bullies never prosper.
The cast are an eclectic band of up-and-comers; Ronen Rubenstein portrays perpetual victim Lincoln with aplomb. He manages to make Lincoln a stronger ‘victim’ than celluloid normally delivers. Lincoln’s ‘weakness’ comes from him trying to repress his rage unlike his peers. This works to give Lincoln an undercurrent of danger. The stand-outs of the film though have to be Grace Phipps and Sierra McCormick who have a very solid and loyal fan base despite their young years. Both push themselves to the extreme and feature in some very heavy, dark and disturbing scenes; they’re a long way from their Disney day jobs here.
Visually the film feels like an old school horror movie, reminiscent of the likes of Texas Chainsaw Massacre et al. The desert backdrop is realised beautifully, Mortimer has almost managed to trap real sand and grit between the frames; the dry heat and dusty humidity almost breaking the fourth wall and enveloping the audience.
Some Kind of Hate is a powerful and provocative attempt at breathing life into the stale stalk and slash story, succeeding with gusto. Be warned bullies, if you don’t change your actions you’ll end up on Moira’s shit list…
Witness Moira’s vengeance for yourself on digital download when Some Kind of Hate arrives at Frightfest Presents on 19th October. Own it on DVD from 9th May.
