STUDIO 666 -- A Poorly Made Foo Fighters Horror Comedy

Review by Camden Ferrell

​Studio 666 is a new horror movie predominately featuring the legendary rock band Foo Fighters. It is directed by B.J. McDonnell and features some seasoned comedy actors alongside the band. While many people like the music of Foo Fighters, this movie doesn’t have nearly enough music to please anyone but the most die-hard fans of the band. It also is a poorly acted and written horror movie that doesn’t have much working in its favor.
 
Needing to write and record their 10th studio album, Foo Fighters decide to move into an Encino mansion to get inspired and finish it. However, once they arrive at this house, supernatural forces threaten their music and their lives. This is a silly premise, and it’s nothing special, but it could have worked if they emphasized what people love most about the band, which is obviously their music.
 
From the start, the writing is quite poor. Its dialogue is forced and none of the jokes land properly. It tries to be quippy and enjoyable, but its script leaves a lot to be desired, and it doesn’t make the most of its premise. It focuses far too much on the supernatural elements of the movie rather than any musical moments. We don’t get to see even a single song played in its entirety which is a disappointment when watching a movie starring a musical group.

The acting is far from great, but this isn’t unexpected since the main cast consists mostly of non-actors. Regardless of how charismatic he has been in his career, front man Dave Grohl can’t carry this movie with his inconsistent and erratic performance. He doesn’t know how to deliver most of his lines, and all of his horror acting is overdone in a bad way. The rest of the band lacks a lot of natural emotion, and it comes off as terribly wooden throughout. In addition to the band, the movie features other actors like Will Forte and Whitney Cummings who also don’t do much to enhance the movie.
 
The only enjoyable part of the movie was the over-the-top blood and gore in its horror scenes, but it doesn’t do nearly enough to make up for the myriad of ways the movie underwhelms. It lacks emotion in its acting, writing, camera work, and execution. It’s under two hours, but it still feels too long from the start. While one wouldn’t expect a great movie from this, it’d be a lie to say the lack of effort wasn’t disappointing.
 
Studio 666 is a movie for the biggest of Foo Fighters fans and not much else. The band’s musical talents do not translate to acting talent, and there isn’t much music to begin with in this film. It’s uninteresting, and it’s not as funny or scary as it wants to believe it is.
 
Studio 666 is in theaters February 25.
 
Rating: 2/5