by Sebastian Kluth
Par kluseba
Willy's Wonderland is an absurd, creative and surreal horror movie with a few comedic elements. The story revolves around a nameless protagonist who gets stranded in an isolated town after a car accident. Since he cannot pay for repairs, he is given the opportunity to clean up an abandoned family entertainment centre for one night to pay his debts. What initially sounds like an easy task soon becomes a fight for survival since the animatronic mascots are possessed by criminal satanists who committed suicide.
This film convinces on several levels. First of all, the location of the abandoned family entertainment centre is quite sinister, intriguing and creative. The eight different mascots who turn out to be the movie's villains are also quite unique, memorable and distinctive. The light and sound effects add a lot of atmosphere to the film. The soundtrack meandering from country, folk and rock classics to creepy children's music also leaves its mark. Nicolas Cage convinces as tough protagonist who doesn't say one single word in the entire movie and delivers the goods with excellent body language and facial expressions.
On the negative side, the makers of the movie didn't quite seem to know what they wanted their film to be. It's not sinister enough to be a serious horror movie. The action scenes are too simplistic to make for a convincing genre entry. The humorous elements are too shallow to be considered funny. The movie meanders from one genre to another and back again without ever being truly convincing. The story is creative upon first contact but soon follows genre tropes and ends up being very predictable. The supporting actresses and actors are lacking charisma. Emily Tosta is the lead actress next to Nicolas Cage but her skills are exchangeable and forgettable.
At the end of the day, Willy's Wonderland is interesting for a party night with a couple of friends who want to discover a campy flick that walks off the beaten path. Especially fans of Nicolas Cage's more recent movies such as Mandy and Color Out of Space should appreciate this film for what it is.
Thème Magazine © - Hébergé par Eklablog