‘That’s A Wrap’ Isn’t Clever Enough to Hang With its Meta Horror Contemporaries [Review]
When I saw That’s A Wrap advertised as a giallo-esque thriller with Cerina Vincent in a starring role, I was all in. As it turns out, Vincent is barely in the film and the flick doesn’t really do justice to the giallo exports of the ‘70s. While some of the visuals are giallo-inspired, this picture never reaches the appropriate level of intensity to hang with the gialli of years past. It’s not a total bust. But That’s A Wrap ultimately falls short of what was promised.
The film sees the cast and crew of a horror picture coming together for a wrap party to celebrate the milestone. But someone is masquerading as the killer from their movie and sending off party guests in a variety of gruesome and depraved ways. Yikes!
As I previously mentioned, That’s A Wrap is being marketed as ‘starring Cerina Vincent’. But the Cabin Fever actress is only in the movie for a few minutes. I don’t blame the filmmakers. If I had Cerina Vincent in my movie, I would use her presence as a selling point. And to the filmmakers’ credit, Vincent is probably the best part of the film. But her cameo isn’t enough to elevate this flick above the B-grade fare it sets out to lampoon.
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That’s A Wrap tries to send up low-budget horror movies while simultaneously leaning into many of the tropes being spoofed. Sadly, it’s not as clever as benchmark efforts like Scream or Cabin in the Woods. As such, it was a challenge for me to get fully on board. We’ve seen meta-horror done with razor-sharp wit and self-deprecating charm. So, to see it attempted with less aplomb left much to be desired.
Additionally, the flick feels out of touch with the present state of the horror genre. There are nude scenes that feel completely out of place and kill sequences that stretch the boundaries of good taste. The camera lingers on the carnage for far too long and that ultimately lessens the impact. It feels, though, like director Marcel Walz is keen to harken back to the trends of years past for shock value. Accordingly, That’s A Wrap often feels exploitative and a bit silly at times.
For more context: There is a full frontal nude scene so lengthy that you almost forget the character is naked. If that served any other purpose than titillation and added to the narrative, I would be all for it. But it has the potential to feel a little tasteless and unrealistic as presented. I can’t quite see a scenario in which an actress would duck out of a wrap party to take a steamy shower and vigorously masturbate. Maybe I’m just lacking imagination but it seems farfetched.
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There’s also a scene where a character is deep-throated to death with a curling iron. I can’t speak for the intent of that, but my interpretation was that it felt a little excessive. And it just kept going and going.
In addition to seeming slightly tone-deaf, the film also has some cringey character interactions. Screenwriters Joe Knetter and Robert L. Lucas came up with a decent premise. But things kind of fall apart beyond what initially seems like a promising skeletal outline.
All of the key players lack depth. And the queer characters feel unlike any queer people I know, myself included. It wasn’t hateful or insulting in any fashion. It just seemed as though they weren’t grounded in reality. The discussion on coming out feels stilted, awkward, and a little reductive. Some people do have a great experience coming out. But so many don’t. And when we hear about how easy and awesome it was, that feels slightly out of touch with the queer experience. So, while I’m genuinely grateful for the inclusion, I wish those characters had felt a little more like real people. But, in fairness, I could say the very same thing about several other cast members.
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Enough with what didn’t work. I don’t want to spend all of my time bashing this movie. Making a film is hard work. And there were actually several things I did like about That’s A Wrap. Beyond Cerina Vincent, even. There are bits and pieces of a good movie here. Some of the visuals are really appealing and give off giallo vibes; the killer’s getup is kind of creepy and also gives giallo energy. Moreover, there are a few decent kill sequences and a couple of the characters are even endearing at times.
That’s A Wrap is a film that shows a certain amount of promise but ultimately, the elements that work are outshined by those that don’t. If you’re curious to check the film out, you can scope it on digital beginning August 25, 2023.
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‘That’s a Wrap’
Summary
‘That’s A Wrap’ lacks polish and never fully delivers on what might have been a solid premise.
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