Overview and Context
AMFAD: All My Friends Are Dead is an upcoming American slasher horror comedy film set to be released in 2024. Directed by Marcus Dunstan and written by Josh Sims and Jessica Sarah Flaum, the film is set to premiere at the Tribeca Film Festival. Known for his work in the Saw and The Collector franchises, Dunstan blends brutality and dark humor with modern horror.
The film features social critiques wrapped in gruesome thrills aimed at Gen Z. The film critiques Gen Z and the influence culture by engaging with modern internet culture.
Plot Summary
In the film, a group of seven college friends embark on a road trip to attend a massive music festival called “Karmapalooza.” Sarah, Mona, Will, Liv, L.B., Guy, and Aaron comprise the group. They illustrate social media-driven, fame-hungry, and extremely online characters. However, mid the road trip, an RV breakdown changes the course of the plot. The friends make the decision to spend the night at a rental house nearby. What begins as a casual overnight pit stop, soon escalates to a terrifying nightmare.
While settlling in to their rental, the friends notice a set of shot glasses each titled with a revelation of one of the seven deadly sins. Out of the blue, a masked murderer begins to kill them one by one in a fashion that would be considered the victims sin. For instance, the character known to be a gluttonous is killed by a poison that uses gas inhalation, while another lust character uses a grotesque makeshift weapon in their death.
The remaining friends work against the clock to uncover the mystery behind the murders, all while trying to keep their lives ending next on the murderer’s checklist. Now, the friends remember old memories that revolve around Collete. Eventually, as all teammates come together, the friends remember that Collete was publicly bullied by the so called “friends”, which leads them to the conclusion that the murders are indeed a draft of a revenge plot. This is the motive behind the murders that are clarified as a final revenge.
In a turn of events, the “sane-sounding” protagonist Sarah turns out to be an accomplice. She was close to Colette and planned the storyline to punish the so-called friends. Cops are, of course, the antagonists, and fictional Shaw, who seemed like a friend, turns out to be Sarah’s accomplice. Sarah completes her revenge and the film closes with the ominous final shot, effectively making justice a core theme to focus on, deeply unsettling viewers.
Cast and performances
Jade Pettyjohn as Sarah: Jade is the emotional core of the film. Framed as the reason-adjacent to her Early to Mid behavioural blend, and her performance is more sophisticated be as the evolution of the character. Pets range and explodes to dominate the narrative, is provided by her range soaring, out of consummate slumber.
Jennifer Ens as Mona: Mona is portrayed as the queen bee influencer archetype. Ens’s performance is as dramatic as it is baffling, straddling the annoying and alluring territories, making for one of the more captivating character arcs in the picture.
Ali Fumiko Whitney as Liv: Liv embodies self-love and self-fame, and her demise is one of the film’s most gruesome to behold, revealing her penchant for the grotesque in the name of social media adoration.
Julian Haig, Justin Derickson, Cardi Wong, Jack Doupe-Smith: These actors comprise the rest of the ill-fated cast, each embodying one of the Seven Deadly Sins. As the film’s parody of contemporary adolescent culture progresses, the youth seen through these characters becomes an embodiment of a sin.
JoJo Siwa plays Collette, a character who, despite appearing for a few minutes, is memorable. It is important to note that Collette is not just a throwaway character. Rather, she looms over the entire film, and her character’s backstory is the emotional backbone supporting the film’s revenge tragedy.
Michaella Russell as Officer Shaw: a masterful transformation into the duplicitous cop who colludes with Sarah to execute the murder plot and chillingly partners with her.
Themes and Symbolism
- The Seven Deadly Sins
The killer’s application of the Seven Deadly Sins serves to the disarray of the plot and characters. Each sin is showcased through the character’s death and the biblical reasoning of a sin gives the film, which is otherwise campy, some depth, helping to articulate that the victim’s demise was the result of their immoral choices.
- Social Media and Superficiality
The film’s critique revolves around the idea of ‘influencer culture’, exposing the vanity, ego, and performative morality of the modern elite of social media. There is a distinct lack of empathy as the characters are shallow and completely consumed with their self-image. Their demise represents the harmful behaviors they personify.
3. Revenge and Guilt
Collette’s suicide sets the stage for the film’s latter events. Throughout the movie, the story tackles concepts such as bullying, guilt, and vengeance. Complicating things further, Sarah’s part in avenging Collette adds emotional depth, making it hard to distinguish between justice and revenge. It begs the question, do the victims genuinely deserve the outcome?
Visual Style and Direction
Dunstan’s direction is slick, stylized, and embodies digital culture. He plays with quick cuts, videos, and saturated lighting off screen text. The creative and absurdly gruesome kills possess a level of satirical horror, although the film as a whole grapples with consistency.
The cinematography showcases the lifeless and Insta-perfect world of influencers with flashy and colorful dynamics. While adding depth to the narrative without becoming tedious, flashbacks and livestreamed torture scenes do the exact opposite.
Critical Reception
All My Friends Are Dead sparked a debate among the critics as opinions weren’t anywhere close to being unified. While a section appreciated the energy, originality, and satirical undertones, others deemed the one-dimensional characters and predictable story a flaw. Criticism aside, many highlighted the performances, with standout portrayals from Jade Pettyjohn and JoJo Siwa.
Viewers were split with their reactions. The ‘so bad it’s good’ crowd enjoyed the creative death scenes and the humor that twisted horror tropes, but those seeking more subtle layers to the plot were disappointed.
Some commentators seemed to miss the point that the film’s commentary on social media and influencer culture is relevant to the current times, calling it too blunt. Other commentators seemed to miss the point that hyperbole is typical of the genre, and that over-exaggeration can certainly serve a purpose.
Strengths
Cleverly employing the The Seven Deadly Sins as a thematic and narrative device.
Jade Pettyjohn and the rest of the lead cast deliver strong performances.
Memorable set pieces and engaging direction create a visually engaging film.
A thoughtful blend of horror and satire caters to the fans of genre hybrids.
Weaknesses
The balance between serious commentary and humorously over-the-top violence is inconsistent.
Some deaths come across as overly gratuitous, lacking a reasonable narrative justification.
Characters’ arcs are too shallow.
For seasoned horror fans, a twist that is predictable.
**Conclusions
The bloody, satirical edges of the horror film, AMFAD, attempt to bring depth and commentary to the violence and mockery of the genre’s unsettling tropes. For avid fans of the genre, it provides good enjoyment. Those who favor a balance of plot development and character depth will be let down. The film is unapologetically a slasher film intended for the TikTok era.
Brutal and colorful, All My Friends Are Dead stands out in the crowd of modern horror-comedy hybrids. The movie serves as either a cautionary tale, or as a piece of pure midnight-movie enjoyment. Either way, it delivers a wild ride for anyone willing to embrace the chaos.
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