disappointment media
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About

BINGO HELL -- A Fun Blumhouse Horror-Comedy

9/27/2021

0 Comments

 
Review by Sean Boelman
Picture
Photo Courtesy of Amazon Studios.
After becoming an under-the-radar hit last year, Amazon and Blumhouse’s anthology Welcome to the Blumhouse returns with four new films from underrepresented creators. Bingo Hell, co-written and directed by Gigi Saul Guerrero, is a fun and nasty horror-comedy that will definitely satisfy fans of the horror company.

The movie follows a tight-knit community whose beloved bingo hall is purchased by an outsider whose intentions are less than pure. And although the idea of a community fighting back against a malicious external force is nothing new, it’s refreshing to see this story done with an older protagonist as the lead.

What really makes this film stand out as more than a schlocky B-movie is the level of investment there is in the characters. The main group of older heroes are all very endearing and go beyond the common archetypes of the genre when it comes to the elderly. And the movie’s antagonist is enjoyably exaggerated and wacky.

Academy Award-nominated actress Adriana Barraza brings a lot of energy to her role. It’s not a film that is meant to be taken seriously, and she approaches her performance that way, which allows the movie to work as well as it does. And the iconic character actor Richard Brake brings another memorable villain to the screen.
Picture
Photo Courtesy of Amazon Studios.
Like a lot of Blumhouse horror flicks, there’s some clear social commentary to be found here. In this case, the film is tackling the ideas of gentrification and greed. The things that the movie has to say aren’t particularly profound, nor are they very original, but they are delivered in a way that feels earned, even if it is direct.

If there is one thing missing from the film, it is consistent pacing. There are only two or three really horrifying scenes, and while they are extremely disturbing, they are also quite brief. It has a very low body count, perhaps a constraint of the budget of the movie, and it ultimately leaves a little bit to be desired on the carnage front.

That said, Guerrero brings an interesting enough visual style to the film that it almost makes up for the lack of excitement in the story. The bingo hall setting for much of the movie obviously lends itself to a lot of color, and that works well. Even more interesting, though, is how Guerrero blends elements of fantasy and nightmare, especially during the death scenes.

Bingo Hell is an enjoyable little horror-comedy, and while it’s not quite as glorious as it could have been, its gruesome moments are enough to make it worth the watch. Gigi Saul Guerrero is clearly a talented filmmaker, and it’s nice to see opportunities like this given to voices like hers.

Bingo Hell streams on Amazon beginning October 1.

Rating: 3.5/5
               
0 Comments



Leave a Reply.

    Archives

    May 2025
    April 2025
    March 2025
    February 2025
    January 2025
    December 2024
    November 2024
    October 2024
    July 2024
    June 2024
    May 2024
    April 2024
    March 2024
    February 2024
    January 2024
    December 2023
    November 2023
    October 2023
    September 2023
    August 2023
    July 2023
    June 2023
    May 2023
    April 2023
    March 2023
    February 2023
    January 2023
    December 2022
    November 2022
    October 2022
    September 2022
    August 2022
    July 2022
    June 2022
    May 2022
    April 2022
    March 2022
    February 2022
    January 2022
    December 2021
    November 2021
    October 2021
    September 2021
    August 2021
    July 2021
    June 2021
    May 2021
    April 2021
    March 2021
    February 2021
    January 2021
    December 2020
    November 2020
    October 2020
    September 2020
    August 2020
    July 2020
    June 2020
    May 2020
    April 2020
    March 2020
    February 2020
    January 2020
    December 2019
    November 2019
    October 2019

    Authors

    All
    Adam Donato
    Alan French
    Allison Brown
    Borja Izuzquiz
    Camden Ferrell
    Cole Groth
    Daniel Lima
    Dan Skip Allen
    Erin M. Brady
    Jonathan Berk
    Joseph Fayed
    Josh Batchelder
    Paris Jade
    Rafael Motamayor
    Sarah Williams
    Sean Boelman
    Tatiana Miranda

disappointment media

Dedicated to unique and diverse perspectives on cinema!
  • Home
  • Reviews
  • Interviews
  • The Snake Hole
  • About