Many Horror films adhere to a distinct style, particularly in the case of Slasher. In many cases, you can almost always predict what is going to happen in the next scene by specific giveaways. However, Ritesh Gupta (My Block: Puerto Rico 2006, The Cars That Made the World series) brings something distinctly different and entirely unexpected to the genre with the film The Red Mask.
First taking FrightFest by storm on August 23, 2025, The Red Mask should provoke many fans of the Slasher/Horror genre to start talking. Produced by Create Entertainment and Intrinsic Value Films, The Red Mask is about a queer woman named Allina Green (Helena Howard: The Wilds series, I Saw The TV Glow 2024), who was hired to write the final Red Mask Slasher film. While Allina faces pressure and death threats from the fans of The Red Mask series, she and her fiancé take a retreat to a secluded Airbnb to focus on writing the script. When an unexpected and uninvited couple crashes their retreat, things take a turn when a reenactment of the original film between the couples goes awry.
The beginning of The Red Mask starts the audience off on the edge of their seats. Beginning with Allina Green watching a very slanderous clip online about her possible inability to keep the film from becoming too woke. As she begins to feel uneasy and hear small noises, she becomes paranoid. Suddenly, what seems like the real Red Mask comes hurtling towards her with an axe. This leads to a chase that takes all the original aspects of a Slasher/Horror film. Allina runs upstairs, hides in the closet, and just before the red mask is about to walk out of the room, her phone rings unexpectedly. All in all, it seems like a typical Slasher film. Although Allina narrowly escapes and finds herself downstairs with a kitchen knife, the audience is shocked to discover something very different.
Howard plays a spectacular role in the film, and her co-star, “fiancé” Deetz (Inanna Sarkis: After 2019, Seance 2021), makes for an excellent companion piece. In fact, Sarkis, as Deetz, really shines in this film, especially towards the end. However, it is the unexpected/uninvited guests that really change things up with Jake Abel (Supernatural series, Malignant 2021) and Kelli Garner (The Aviator 2004, The Secret Life of Marilyn Monroe 2015) playing Ryan and Claire, a couple who were supposedly booked in the Airbnb the night before Allina and Deetz are supposed to leave.
Overall, the story of The Red Mask is well-written by Samantha Gurash and Patrick Robert Young. With that in mind, it is unexpected and has a certain fun quality about it. And the writing is so good, it will have you thinking about it days after. The twists and turns, as well as the subtle, clever jokes towards the end, will leave a lasting impression.
Without saying too much more, The Red Mask is genuinely an outstanding Slasher/Horror film for the new age. That is why Cryptic Rock gives The Red Mask 5 out of 5.
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