Founders Day Reviews (original) (raw)
Summary A small town is shaken by a series of ominous killings in the days leading up to a heated mayoral election.
My Score
Hover and click to give a rating Saved
Summary A small town is shaken by a series of ominous killings in the days leading up to a heated mayoral election.
The screenplay has a lot it wants to say and does so in a fun, murderous way lined with wicked humor. All the actors understood the assignment and successfully pull off their roles.
If you’re not a slasher nerd, don’t worry, this entertaining, wicked little movie can still win you over, even if it might take you a little longer to find its particular groove.
Erik Bloomquist’s direction is composed, and his co-written screenplay with Carson plays on politician-slamming themes, yet Founders Day is still a second-tier slasher that crosses too many plotlines in an overly complicated small-town massacre.
With a premise worth engaging with, the film can’t quite grasp what its full intentions are and the execution reflects that.
A couple of pedal-to-the-floor melodramatic twists suggest that “Founders Days” might’ve been a bolder or just meaner genre movie, but its toothless satire, like its timid horror drama, sadly doesn’t cut it.
If you're going to dig the same shallow grave for the thousandth time, at least have the verve of Eli Roth's shamelessly fun Thanksgiving – or at least make sure the entire cast knows if you're going for tension or comedy.
There are enough formulaic elements, especially teens meeting gory deaths, to keep undiscerning viewers in their seats. But the script (co-written by Erik and sibling Carson) stumbles in its climactic revelations, with an even worse epilogue bound to send patrons out rolling their eyes in unamused disbelief.
Founders Day is a classic town killer story with no unique additions. Its political sauce can't save the day. It could have been a nice watch if it wasn't trying to be funny with its artificial characters. So, yeah. I can't say more.
Founders Day is basically Thanksgiving if you removed the wit, intelligence and entertainment value! The movie offers gore but the kills aren't creative or even remotely memorable, there's episodes of Goosebumps and Are You Afraid of the Dark that are probably more violent than this! Not a single character is worth caring about. The comedy is lame and there isn't a shred of intelligence in the commentary as it tries to be political.
Production Company Mainframe Pictures
Release Date Jan 19, 2024
Duration 1 h 46 m
Rating R
Tagline Change is here.
Toronto After Dark Film Festival
• 1 Win & 1 Nomination