Review: ‘When the Trash Man Knocks’ is pure ’80s sleaze

Eli Roth’s Thanksgiving is not the only new holiday fare we’re getting this year. Filmmaker Christopher Wesley Moore readies for the release of his own slasher When the Trash Man Knocks. Coming off the impressive Children of Sin, a dissection of religious fanaticism and trauma, the writer/director continues to shine as a storyteller and craftsperson. The latest low-budget picture swaps out social commentary for a Blood Feast-style romp with coarse violence and skin-ripping practical effects.

It’s 1994, and Crispen Callaway (portrayed by Luke Mayronne in flashbacks) is just your normal young boy. But something inside him snaps, and he murders his father and a neighborhood girl. He hacks their bodies into tiny little pieces and packs the parts into garbage bags like trash. He’s so deranged he doesn’t even dispose of the corpses; he relishes in the act when a neighbor comes to check up on him. But he doesn’t hang around for long, disappearing into the night and never to be seen again—until 2003 when he goes on another rampage. More bodies, more blood, more body parts in trash bags.

The film then jumps two decades, and Crispen (now played by Derek Robert Hull Bond) has become an urban legend. He’s the Trash Man, and when he comes knockin’ (three times to be exact), you better beware. You’ve been marked. With two massacres under his belt, the maniac pounces when you least expect it. He’s a real sleeper.

Caroline (Jo-Ann Robinson), a survivor of the first massacre, lives in constant fear. So much so, that she’s locked herself in her home and hasn’t left in 20 years. Her son Justin (Moore) takes care of her, despite the strain it puts on his personal life. We all deal with our demons in our own way, and Justin often turns to the bottle to cope. When the Trash Man shows up again, he leaves an impressive stack of bodies in his wake. No one is safe from the glistening edge of his meat cleaver.

Meanwhile, Caroline still grapples with the ghost of her mother, whose voice rings in her ears. This added character layer gives the film a bit of emotional weight, as we find her struggling to leave her home and confront the trauma she’s endured. But through the Trash Man’s unexpected visit, she’s finally able to put her personal demons to rest. Moore knows exactly how to make you care for his characters by giving them inner lives and real meat on the bone on which to chomp.

When the Trash Man Knocks might not reach the creative heights of Children of Sin, both in style and tone, but there’s a bite to it that sinks into the skin, drawing blood. And it remains impressive with its throbbing DIY heart and filmmaking gumption. Christopher Wesley Moore has a vision and executes it with precision, beckoning you into the story of mayhem and turning up the psychological fear factor. It’s not as campy as the title suggests, settling on playing it super serious, but it’s still a fun stroll down 1980s sleaze.

When the Trash Man Knocks arrives on Amazon this Friday (November 10)

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