GET GONE * USA 2019 Dir: Michael Thomas Daniel. 91 mins
Writer-director Michael Thomas Daniel’s film builds a joyless (and mostly bloodless) backwoods slasher scenario around possibly the least appealing protagonists imaginable…unless someone decides to make a Wrong Turn sequel set at a “Britain First” meeting.
The obnoxious oxygen thieves who make up “Hoax Busters” – dedicated to exposing dumb online myths and the like – take a weekend “team-building” break in Whiskey Flats, Oregon where the familiar slasher-victim campfire talk involves discussing internet “Albino People” videos. Periodically they run into the deluded, dangerous members of the Maxwell family, led by stoic patriarch Robert Miano and insanely giggling Mom Lin Shaye, who are looking for new (un)willing volunteers to breed.
This has a timely secondary story about a nefarious drilling / fracking company threatening the Maxwell homestead and poisoning their water supply – causing skin pigmentation problems, and more besides, for their kids – but the broad portrayal of the company workers (joshing about retarded babies) is as lame as everything else. It unfolds at a deadly pace – sadly not helped by the ever-busy Lin Shaye’s valiant efforts to bring some depth and sincerity to the table. There’s no sense of threat, the masked sickle-wielding slasher on the DVD cover is poorly used – and worst of all, you get to see Nicolas Cage’s grown-up son (Weston Cage Coppola) and nephew (Bailey Coppola) indulging in bug-eyed overacting like a pair of Moonshine-sodden hillbillies imitating Dwight Frye at a Halloween party in Buttfuck, Alabama.
Review by Steven West
GET GONE is available on Amazon