Pool Party Massacre (Movie Review)

Stay in a group, it will be safe. This is the general advice given to ensure that no one gets hurt: the more people around, the less likely something bad will happen, right? Maybe the advice is good in some instances, but it always seems to backfire when there is a killer on the loose; the more people involved just allow for the body count to be that much higher. The more people that show up, the more blood that is shed! Released on digital platforms via Terror Films as of August 17, 2018, Pool Party Massacre proves this in spades.

Pool Party Massacre still.

Written and Directed by Drew Marvick (Scared to Death 2015), in Pool Party Massacre, Blair Winthrope’s (Kristin Noel McKusick) parents are going away for the weekend, and they have given her permission to have a pool party. Mr. Winthrope (John Molinaro: Party Bus to Hell 2017, Before the Dark 2017) and his wife (Sally Burnswello: Thor at the Bus Stop 2009, Do Not Disturb 2014) clearly do not like their daughter. Seemingly, they feel as though she is worthless and constantly compare her to her brother, Blaine, played by Director Marvick; she cannot do anything right.

Blair and her friends are a snotty group of mean girl socialites. Despite it being a pool party, no one wants to get in the pool. Tiffany (Alexis Adams) invites her boyfriend, Troy (Mark Justice: Simran 2017, The Immortal Wars 2018), to the party even though it is just supposed to be girls-only. In turn, he brings along his friend, Clay (Nick Byer: Henry’s Christmas Money 2015, Master-Weighters 2017), who shamelessly tries to hook up with all of the girls. What the group does not realize is that there is a faceless killer stalking them, intent on killing everyone, one by one, in various ways. Why this party? Why are they being targeted, and, ultimately, who will survive?

Pool Party Massacre still.

Pool Party Massacre is a classic Slasher film. A group of people, most with no real solid personalities, are in one place while a mysterious figure is slowly hunting them down one by one. There is blood. There is sex. There is nudity. The perfect equation for fun. It is difficult to not be entertained with dialogue including lines like “Necrophilia is a dying art,” or “ Can you please stop talking about cumming. I’m trying to relax.” Clearly it is not a film for the family to enjoy together, but it definitely has a solid place in the Slasher genre.

It is very obvious from the plot and dialogue that Marvick is a big fan of 1980s Slasher films. In a lot of ways, being a fan of the genre has the potential to create a jumbled chaos, because the creator might be more concerned in keeping with the traditions or formulas instead of focusing on the new story being told. This is not the case here. While the film itself is a basic Slasher flick, it is the dialogue that sets it apart. In his feature directorial debut, Marvick makes it clear that Pool Party Massacre is very much aware that he is following in the footsteps of previous films, and it is this awareness that makes the film work. Had he taken a serious approach instead, it would have completely fallen apart.

Pool Party Massacre still.

The Slasher films of the 1980s are often referenced in current films, and the formula is classic because it works; it succeeds in being both highly entertaining and thrilling. What the creators of Pool Party Massacre succeeded at was a slightly raunchier, campy throwback to the classic formula that is filled with characters so annoying they are begging to die. Sex, blood, and dead bodies. It is for these reasons that CrypticRock gives Pool Party Massacre 3.5 out of 5 stars.

Terror Films

Purchase Pool Party Massacre:

[amazon_link asins=’B07GHW6BK7,B071NL9MVB’ template=’ProductCarousel’ store=’crypticrock-20′ marketplace=’US’ link_id=’a6f22c7d-b1f6-11e8-91ec-0bd2dd985c23′]

Like the in-depth, diverse coverage of Cryptic Rock? Help us in support to keep the magazine going strong for years to come with a small donation.

Sarah SalvaggioAuthor posts

Avatar for Sarah Salvaggio

1 Comment

  • Whoa! Thank you so much for giving Pool Party a chance Sarah. It make me so happy to hear that you actually enjoyed it. It still blows my mind whenever anyone likes it, since I assumed I would be the only one. (well maybe my Mom too, but she doesn’t count)

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *