Peelers [NOHFF Review]

This may surprise a lot of you given my history, but the trailer for Peelers left me wanting more. As tired as I am of generic zombie/viral outbreak movies, it looked as if this one would present me with a fun and light-hearted spin on a sub genre that is truly as worn as it gets. I expected lots of gore, laughs, and sexually charged themes. And while I certainly got all of those things, Peelers falls a tad short on the expectations that I had set for myself.

The film follows a crew of miscellaneous strip club workers and patrons on the establishment’s final night of business. We get a decent introduction to all of the characters, but we’re left in the dark when it comes to Blue Jean’s (the owner) motivation for selling. The same could be said for her character as a whole. We know that she’s some sort of ex baseball player and that she’s a bit of a bad ass, but she has a bit of mystery to her that is slowly unraveled throughout the film. Unfortunately, it’s not particularly enlightening once the cat is out of the bag. But let’s be honest, we’re not here for deep and winding story archs; we’re here to get grossed out–to see black ooze seep out of every orifice imaginable. So do we get that? Sort of.

The biggest problem with Peelers is that it is incredibly inconsistent when it comes to its FX work. One second you’re seeing a well-thought and executed decapitation or vomit explosion; the next you’re witnessing character makeup that could easily be confused for a Halloween Snapchat filter. This is when Peelers is at its most baffling. It wouldn’t take much more time (or money) to apply practical makeup FX to the faces of its antagonists, but they opt for a strange digital overlay that makes this low-budget indie go from cheeky to cheap. Worst yet, I’m not even sure every effect is the same. I almost feel like some faces have the CGI overlay and some are practical. It’s jarring, and if I’m wrong, then that’s not good either.

Fortunately, there are some pretty spectacular moments to be had. Even when the film works against itself aesthetically, it’s never not fun. In fact, I found myself legitimately shocked at what my eyes were seeing on screen more than once. Peelers has no shame, and that’s not necessarily a bad thing. Director Sevé Schelenz plays the cards that he’s dealt and makes the most out of what is obviously a very limited budget.

If you’ve got a group of friends together for beer and pizza, throw Peelers on for some laughs. It works well for that. Just don’t go in expecting an onslaught or gross-out practical FX. This is a fun one, but it could have been so much more.

Peelers screened at the 2016 Night of Horror Film Festival.