Review: ‘213 Bones’ sits comfortably next to ‘Urban Legend’

In the age of inescapable nostalgia, everyone obsesses over the ’80s, ’90s, and early aughts these days. From Totally Killer and Lisa Frankenstein to Fear Street: 1994, current horror leans into that social trend by dipping audiences back into their heyday. The late director Jeffrey Primm leads the audience into the late ’90s with his debut and final feature, 213 Bones, which he co-wrote with Dominic Arcelin. Fitting comfortably next to Urban Legend and 2001’s Valentine, the slasher succeeds in its throwback sentimentality, genre thrills, and sense of fun.

A group of college students is just trying to make it through their anthropology class. Professor Kelly (Colin Egglesfield) coordinates a “real-life” exercise during which they must analyze human remains and determine the cause of death. Little do they know: a masked killer stalks campus and sets their sights on Laurie (Francesca Barker McCormick) and the rest of the gang. In classic whodunnit fashion, the lurking maniac, wearing an eerie disguise with flaming red hair, circles the drain like a vulture hunting its prey. It could be anyone, and anyone could be next on the chopping block.

Sheriff Bracco (Ernest Walker) and Deputy Freeman (Adara Toop) have their work cut out for them. With bodies piling up, it’s a race against time to pinpoint the killer’s identity before they slaughter any more students. Containing character archetypes, such as the resident bad boy, the film builds relationship dynamics through expectation and traditional genre conventions. It’s within the overly familiar that Primm adeptly plays and offers an unexpected take on the usual template. Even though the characters accept their roles within a horror movie, the cast delivers grounded and unfussy performances. They feel real.

213 Bones doesn’t try to be anything it’s not. It’s a lean and mean slasher with a flair for the theatrical. In working with cinematographer Andrew Russo, Primm supplies a slickness to the camera work, lighting, and framing. As producer John Michaels says in a press statement: “This is for the audiences and fanbase to enjoy.” The film reads as a love letter to the slasher wave of the late ’90s and early ’00s, tipping its hat to Urban Legend 2: Final Cut, among others. But its totally ’90s vibes don’t detract from the story Primm tells.

Independent cinema is having a moment this year. Some indie films that have made an impression include Saint Clare, Eye for a Eye, and Et Tu. Following its screening at FrightFest, 213 Bones confirms its placement among these as one of the best indies of 2025. It might not work for many who call it “too predictable” and “familiar,” but sometimes, you just need a good escape from the newscycle with a trusty and reliable throwback slasher.