Review: ‘New Fears Eve’ stabs slashers through the heart

Slashers are all the rage these days. Terrifier, Totally Killer, Sick, Heart Eyes, and X are just a few of the slashers that have made waves in the genre in recent years. Co-directors Eric Huskisson and P.J. Starks toss their irreverent indie slasher, New Fears Eve, into the ring. Starks, who wrote the script, laces an American Pie-style humor with a 1980s sensibility, from character archetypes to the wickedly obscene gore. It all collides to make something worth watching alongside such ’80s staples as The Burning and Slaughter High.

Three friends—Leslie (Lily-Claire Harvey), Moses (Matthew Tichenor), and Brian (Turner Vaughn)—begrudgingly prepare for their company’s New Year’s Eve party. Navigating office politics is one thing, but when you add love into the mix, it’s bad news bears. You see, Leslie likes Brian. But Brian is dating Jessica (Leanne Seda). Moses likes Leslie. But Leslie doesn’t even look at him that way. It’s tangled madness that gives the characters wants and needs, nothing too fancy. It is a slasher, after all! Their chemistry together complicates the story, especially when a masked lunatic shows up and carves up the staff.

Meanwhile, their boss, Mr. Dugan (Dave Sheridan), sets his sights on laying off a sizeable percentage of his workers. A meeting with Brian and Moses kicks off the film, setting the stage for the dire circumstances. They not only have to face a killer, but corporate cruelty can be absolutely deadly. Dugan’s secretary Stephanie (Felissa Rose) might not be the brightest, but she’s rather loyal when times are hard. Rose delivers one of her best, most hilarious performances to date, with an abrasively unholy perversion. If you have the one and only Felissa Rose in your film, you’d better make the most of her talents. Huskisson and Starks do that and much more.

New Fears Eve beautifully captures the messiness of ’80s-style slashers. It’s odd to hold the film to a much higher standard than the sloppy slashers of yesteryear, especially when we’re so nostalgic for the delightfully messy Happy Birthday to Me, Madman, and The Dorm That Dripped Blood. None of these are pinnacles of cinematic perfection, but they sure are damn fun. Huskisson and Starks know exactly what their audience is, opting for mess over meticulous masterpiece status. It’s an essential Friday night popcorn flick that you watch high with your friends.

Horror is in dire need of more New Year’s Eve-set slashers. New Year’s Evil and Terror Train are the most obvious films that come to mind. Now, you can add New Fears Eve into the mix. It’s a sleazy offering in the vein of Silent Night, Deadly Night, plastered with even more vulgar humor and with characters actually to root for. Eric Huskisson and P.J. Starks craft a real crowd pleaser that holds nothing back when it comes to the script, warts and all. And that’s all we can hope for.