Rating: ***1/2
Starring: Naomi Grace, Devin Druid, William Russ
When it comes to politics, I don't really give a damn; the whole idea bores me and, honestly, I find it rather funny that a lot of people lose themselves over what's basically a popularity contest fueled by a big mess of shady tactics and petty arguments about which way is the correct way to rule over the masses. It's all a silly game by the end of it, with the people sitting in the high chair's bound of muck it up at some point.
That being said, isn't it ironic that I find a slasher centered around a small town election rather fun?
In the New England town of Fairwood, a race for public office between Mayor Blair Gladwell's platform of “consistency” against Harold Faulkner's campaign of “change” have the whole community heated and going for each other's throats, completely unaware that this contest would soon be shaken to its core; a mysterious masked figure in political robes and a blood red theater mask has decided to make the best of all of this political chaos and starts a killing spree targeting the teenage populous. With some of the victims being the two mayor candidates' children, an uproar of suspicions and accusations against both parties gets thrown all over, further sending the town into a crazed frenzy and paranoia as locals are left unsure of who to trust.
Now, I'll admit that Founders Day (2023)'s so-called political satire is a real misfired aim as the supposed politics isn't anywhere as deep or thought-provoking as the movie's serious tone plays it out to be; the direction undoubtedly tries to put more weight on the drama happening around the campaign, but it roughly clashes against its story and script which both lean heavily on poking fun at the absurdity around political divide. There's no teeth in its statements regarding current event politics and it all simply boils down to an overly simplified idea that scummy politicians and political rage are bad, which definitely will feel underwhelming for those expecting the same cunningness towards the subject as that of, let's say, The Purge movies or even 2020's horror thriller, The Hunt.
Personally, however, I couldn't be happier that this little bodycounter isn't bogged down by all that riff-raff seeing we already have enough noise to go through with Founders Day (2023)'s disjointed yet serviceable whodunnit slasher plot. Curiously, there's no true main character to speak of here as the movie practically juggles its attention from one focus group to another, leaving many, if not all characterization here mostly one-note. Our implied lead girl Allison Chambers, for example, who's going through the troubles of leaving town for a better future, as well as losing her girlfriend from a seemingly politically-motivated murder, is simply presented here moping around her loss and doesn't become the center of attention until the film's climax wherein she and a local bad boy start snooping around to figure out what really going on with these murders. It's rather unconventional, but it does keep the story on its toes as it practically implies that anybody can be murdered just as much as anyone can be the killer.
In fact, the whodunnit aspect of this movie is what really sold it for me as just when you thought things got figured out and you know where it's all headed, they kill off a character to throw a wrench on the cogs and have us starting over from scratch. It's frustrating, yes, but it also got me feeling challenged and engaged, with a final act that embraces the silliness of over-explaining convoluted plans with an overly basic motivation. Do they really need to kill off those people for their goal? Nope. Is it anti-climactic? Most people will agree, yes. Is it nonsensically fun? If you welcome its absurdity, I say yes! It can work! Besides, Founders Day (2023)'s road is paved with awesome kills and a cool-looking killer. Sometimes it pays to be a simple slasher fan, especially one who appreciates a level of cheese and a good homage to the early 90s gimmicky killers, something our killer, The Founder, delivers with their memorable presence highlighted with a distorted stage mask, a powdered wig and a gavel customized with a hidden blade. The fella is simple by design, yet so striking! (Pun intended)
Overall, I find Founders Day (2023) enjoyable more as a slasher that just happens to have a political slant to it, rather than a straight-on political horror flick. It's far from perfect, stumbling down a step or two with what it's initially trying to achieve in satire, but the end results still have a good dose of splattery fun time and a twisty murder mystery!
Bodycount:
1 female beaten, throat cut with a bladed gavel
1 male beaten to death with a scale
1 female stabbed in the head with a bladed gavel
1 male stabbed in the gut with a broken wood post
1 female gets a fountain pen to the throat, repeatedly stabbed with a sign post
1 male gets a bladed gavel to the chest, face slashed and stabbed with a letter opener
1 female killed with a bladed gavel
1 male shot
1 female stabbed on the throat with a bladed gavel
Total: 9
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