While Saulnier has since proven himself a gifted filmmaker, Murder Party is rough around the edges.
Homebody Chris (Chris Sharp) has his Halloween night plans all set. He’s rented some cheesy horror movies and is prepared to make some pumpkin bread. On his way home from work, he finds an invitation to a “murder party.” Intrigued, and with nothing better to do, he constructs a costume out of cardboard boxes, bakes his pumpkin bread, and sets off across town to attend the party.
Waiting on the other end of that invitation is a group of young artists competing for grant money. Their plan is to murder whoever attends their party and make something artistic out of the result. They seem shocked that Chris ends up at their doorstep. Infighting, confusion, and bickering ensue and a chain of events transpires that none of them, including Chris, could have foreseen.
Murder Party was the first feature film written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier. As a fan, I wanted to see his first movie. The characteristic dark humor and even some of the cast members from his later work is present. However, this is nowhere near as strong an effort as Blue Ruin or Green Room.
While Saulnier has since proven himself a gifted filmmaker, Murder Party is rough around the edges. It’s apparent that the intent is to mock the pretentiousness of the art world, but the script hammers that point into submission. For the most part, the acting is what you would expect from a film made by a group of friends. Some performances are better than others, but the bad ones really bring the film down.
Of special note are the performances of Macon Blair and Sandy Barnett. Blair’s alcohol-fueled tantrum and Barnett’s turn as the slimy art investor are highlights of the movie. For a micro-budget film, the special effects are surprisingly good. The film’s final act is unpredictable and quite fun. It almost redeems the movie as a whole. Almost.
If you’re a Saulnier fan and you haven’t seen Murder Party, it’s worth a watch to see the occasional flashes of brilliance in what it is ultimately a quirky flick. Those simply looking for a horror comedy won’t find many scares but will find a few laughs. Very few.
2.0 out of 5.0 stars
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