31 Days of Gore: Evil Dead Trap (1988)

It’s October. Time to talk horror. This year I’m reviewing a different horror movie each day of the month.

A Japanese television host receives a genuine snuff film in the mail. Instead of forwarding it to the authorities, she and a handful of others decide to investigate the location where the video was shot. Once there, the characters quickly split up so some can have sex and many can get picked off, one by one. Evil Dead Trap wants you to believe it’s a standard slasher film, but early on a character is impaled in such a manner it’s impossible to believe a single human was the culprit unless he or she possesses supernatural powers. The strange happenings increase in frequency as the movie progresses, but each time we see the killer on screen, he’s clearly depicted as a powerless man.

One thing that’s unique about EDT is the stylized horror: you’ll either appreciate its attempt to tighten the tension, one millimeter at a time, or be bored to death. It employs a surreal, dreamlike pacing that makes the 105-minute movie feel much longer than it actually is and not necessarily in a bad way. Characters stumble around backwards all the time. One even sprains her ankle on the flattest of terrain. It’s the plot devices of a nightmare—and about as coherent as one, too.

This is the hardest movie review I’ve ever written. Will you like Evil Dead Trap? I’d have an easier time predicting whether you prefer vanilla or chocolate. There are certainly things in it that are enjoyable, and a few that aren’t, but its attempts to defy formula should be commended even though many clichés are present. Looking at the picture in retrospect only makes it more confusing… and somehow more likable?

The camerawork and lighting looks great. It’s obviously made by talented filmmakers. There’s something that’s genuinely unsettling about it, too. Why can’t I give it a more positive review? I dunno. If I ever watch the sequel, it won’t be this month.