THAT'S A WRAP Review: Silly, Sexy Horror-Comedy Evokes With Sex And Murder

The cast of director Mason Maestro’s new slasher flick "That's a Wrap." has gathered together for the wrap party. As the festivities go on everyone splinters off, to celebrate the flick, but mostly each other. However, they are unaware that the slasher from the movie, The Mistress, has left the screen and will turn the evening into a real-life, bloody nightmare. 

 

We are a plus-one in Marcel Walz’s lurid, neon-soaked bloodbath, That’s A Wrap. Walz’s indie slasher film is a silly, self-aware slasher flick that features a lot of hot and steamy action - wink wink nudge nudge - that always leads into deliciously violent murder and mayhem. 

 

Why so hot and steamy? That’s A Wrap stars a couple of notable adult-oriented performers. There is Monique Parent, an icon of the erotic thriller genre from the 90s (thank you very much to the doc We Kill for Love for the recent history lesson on her earlier career). She stars as Lily, wife to Maestro and the film’s producer. 

 

One of her younger contemporaries, adult entertainer Eve Marlowe, also stars as Molly. Molly is fodder—sexy fodder, but fodder nonetheless. So why are they notable, you may ask? Why are they any different than the other actresses in the cast: Sarah French, Gigi Austin, or Sarah Polednak? To illustrate the point that a lot about That’s A Wrap is… wrapped… up in sex. Sex sex sexysexsex. Slasher fans know, you need a way to get people alone so they can be killed off. Hence, there are plenty of hookups in slasher movies. 

 

That’s A Wrap is no different, perhaps even upping the ante. With that in mind, if you are heading into a slasher flick expecting a fair amount of sexual content, you will not be disappointed with this indie horror. Walz has made sure that his film is gleefully sex-positive and also Queer friendly. Now, let’s stop you before you think that Parent has gone back to her roots. This is merely associating their past career as one of another genre’s reigning queens of blue sex with more overt sexuality in this indie horror flick. 

 

Follow that with a cold shower and we can talk about… the kills. They are why you watch any slasher flick. So how do the kills in That’s A Wrap measure up to the greats? They hold their own. There is a wink and a nod to Hitchcock if he was going for a hard R. If you ever wanted to know what you would get if old Alfred was able to show you everything during one of his most famous kills then tune in here, kiddos. 

 

Walz understands that if you are not having fun with the kills in his slasher flick then he will lose his audience. So, they’re quite a collection of fun, creative kills with tremendous amounts of blood and gore. Even better, they’re all done in-camera, the way the genre gods intended. No body part was spared in the making of this indie horror flick. Look for an early cameo from one such genre god, a titan when it came to practical effects in horror films. 

 

We should also point out that Walz has an obvious affection for the Giallo genre. “What? You mean apart from one of the characters even talking about it as the director’s style choice in the film?” Shut up, brain. Yes, Giallo is prevalent throughout Walz’s horror film. The spectrum of colors used throughout the movie is insane. The design of The Mistress is obviously influenced by Giallo films. One of the kills is particularly nasty but also hearkens back to some of the grittier crime-themed Giallo hybrids. Along with the gorgeous geysers of blood, everything is bathed in neon light. Pick a color, any color, and it’s on-screen at some point.

 

We had a good amount of fun watching this one. In a small way, it made us think of that time when we watched an indie Giallo horror from Argentina, one with the same indie sensibilities, Crystal Eyes. It is fun to watch. It is evocative and silly with its sexuality. It does the same with its slasher violence. It’s fun and easy to take in on a casual night of movie-watching. If not now, consider adding it to your spooky season lineup next month. 

 

That’s A Wrap had its international premire at FrightFest, which is the context by which we watched this movie. It is now available on most digital platforms in North America.