Every once in a while, a movie comes along that stands out above the rest, albeit not necessarily for the right reason. Sadly, the horror release of film Coffin Baby in April 2013, by Atlantic & Pacific Pictures falls into that category. Also known as The Toolbox Killer Is Back, this slasher was written and directed by accomplished makeup artist Dean Jones (Ouija 2014, Chimeras 2014) and was filmed around North Carolina, with cameos by Bruce Dern (The Burbs 1989, Monster 2003) and Brian Krause (Sleepwalkers 1992, Charmed TV series).
- Still from Coffin Baby
The movie opens in Hollywood in 1958 directly after a series of gruesome murders have rocked tinsel town. Flash forward to present day after Sabrina (Isabelle Fretheim: The Ropes 2012, Half of Something Else 2015) is brutally murdered, stabbed repeatedly while her roommate hears nothing. Her sister, Samantha (Chauntal Lewis: What’s Eating Pee Wee Wong? 2012, Hugo 2012 ), is understandably distraught and insists on seeing the crime scene. She notices strange symbols painted in blood on the bathroom mirror and oddly copies them on her arm in her sisters blood. The police in charge of the case, Det. Jackson (Clifton Powell: Ray 2004, Norbit 2007), and Det. Cole (Krause), consider Sabrina’s boyfriend, Freddy (Kyle Morris: 666: Devilish Charm 2014, 3 Scream Queens 2014), a prime suspect and focus their energies almost entirely on him. Samantha realizes there must be more to her sister’s murder than meets the eye and she begins investigating on her own. However, not long after Samantha starts looking into things then she is snatched by the same masked, toolbox toting killer, leaving a trail of bodies behind him.
- Still from Coffin Baby
Still focusing on Freddy, the police still have no real clues or evidence to lead them to the actual serial killer (Christopher Doyle: Dark Awakening 2015, Sharon 1.2.3. 2015). Caged up in an abandoned warehouse with a drill welding psycho, Samantha is tortured, starved and sprayed with a high pressure water hose, with seemingly no real reason for being kept alive, all the while being subjected to witnessing horrific murders with no way of stopping them. Bit by bit, she starts becoming unraveled, her reality and fantasy merging into an indistinguishable mess. The masked killer appears to have an ulterior motive with Samantha and it is not until three quarters of the way through the movie when the viewer discovers what that is. There is more to both Samantha and Coffin Baby than first appears and their stories intertwine in a surprising way. When Samantha escapes her cage and meets the mysterious Vance Hendrickson (Dern), she sees a glimmer of hope, but will it be before or after she gives in to the darkness and evil surrounding her? Will the police stop the Coffin Baby before he disappears for another fifty-seven years?
- Still from Coffin Baby
Flashbacks from past crimes are mingled amongst the present, confusing the viewer at times. Full of blood and gore, Coffin Baby carves its way into the slasher genre, but unfortunately it is at the cost of the plot. Character development and a sound plot were replaced with gratuitous violence and some down right sickening scenes. There was no explanation for Coffin Baby or why he kills, leaving a huge a gap in the storyline. Even hardcore horror fans may be unable to disregard the lack of plot, despite the epically done special effects. There are some completely nonsensical scenes, and even the brief presence of Dern does nothing to heighten the quality of this movie. The bleak and eerie cinematography by David Bridges (Dark Awakening 2014, License and Registration 2015) only highlights the shaky acting. Unless there is nothing else to watch, it might be best to skip this one. CrypticRock gives Coffin Baby 1 out of 5.
- PFG Entertainment
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