HALLOWEEN HORRORFEST 2020: Random Acts of Violence (2020)

Our sponsors this time around is one of the true Power Couples of Comics, a writer and an artist who have united on several landmark characters in pop culture (there’s a certain version of Harley Quinn that I bet some of you crush on that’s all their work) and now work hard on some projects of their own over at Paper Films....namely Jimmy Palmiotti and Amanda Conner!  Please go over to their website and check out their upcoming projects and maybe pick up some merch!

Jimmy and Amanda have also had a hand in some film and TV projects, like today’s flick directed by Jay Baruchel, Random Acts of Violence!

Todd (Jesse Williams) is a comic creator well known for a very violent, graphic comic called Slasherman.  As he struggles to find the perfect ending for his series, he embarks on a road trip with his wife Kathy (Jordana Brewster), business partner Ezra (Baruchel) and assistant Aurora (Niamh Wilson) down to a comics convention in New York.  Kathy is presently researching a book on the I-95 Slayer, a serial killer who inspired Todd to create Slasherman...and a random encounter has apparently triggered a man (Simon Northwood) to emulate some of the more gruesome murders in the comic.

And that’s the premise, and there’s a bunch more in this film’s eighty minute run time.  Baruchel is interested in something a little deeper--something that actually makes what people would assume is an obvious reveal part of this film’s theme.  At its core, if we take away the gruesome set pieces (and trust me, some of this stuff is pretty gross, especially the third act), this is about the old school argument about whether art inspires violence or the other way around...and Baruchel’s answer is ‘yes’ to both.  This is why what people will assume is a twist that’s easy to see isn’t a twist at all; this film is an oroborous, telling us that there is no pat, easy answer to this question, that it’s not a cause-and-effect but a cycle, and trying to stop one will not stop the other.

I liked how Todd is portrayed by Jesse Williams and the script as being uncomfortable and conflicted with his creation.  In fact, I don’t think there is one person in our central quartet who is made out to be enthusiastic about violence; quite the contrary, they are justifiably horrified when real bodies show up...although for me, one of the most uncomfortable moments comes at a comic book signing, where a fan presents a model based on the comic--complete with victims--and starts raving about the comic being his life (I wonder if Baruchel consciously cast a redheaded actor in this role; we know from a previous scene that this isn’t the killer, but our director sort of knows in a conventional slasher he would be an obvious red herring); it’s the enthusiasm this fan displays that is truly sickening and not the decapitated heads or the Hannibal-style sculpture of dead bodies on the side of the road.

There are a number of good performances--I’ve always thought Brewster was a much better actor than the roles she ended up in gave her, and I was really taken with the slightly manic but grounded performance by Wilson.  I appreciate that the script gives us moments with everyone so that they’re not just volunteers for the body count--even a family about to be slaughtered is given a little silent tableau of harmony that says something about these future victims.  You’ll notice that one thing Baruchel does avoid is turning every character into a jerk...we feel the carnage because we don’t hate them, even if we don’t love them.  We know just enough to know they don’t deserve the carnage about to rain down on them.

My one fear about this film is that people will take it for what’s on its surface and not look at what lies beneath its celluloid skin.  It’s got something else on its mind and, as such, there’s more an emphasis on our main protagonist and what he and his friends are going through rather than the kills.  I think it works in a weirdly meta-way, and I would recommend it.

Well, as mentioned in earlier essays, Halloween Horrorfest Is Going Into Overtime for at least two more days, and our sponsor for tomorrow is our pal Mike Blanchard of Geekcast Radio, who has chosen for what would have been the finale, the Curtis Hanson cautionary tale for expecting rich jerks, The Hand That Rocks The Cradle.  Then stay tuned to find out what horror film would be chosen by...my mother!

You can make things last beyond this Monday, folks! Just choose one of four options:
 
1) You can become a Domicile of Dread Patreon at any level.  Patreons always get a free slot, as well as advance access to podcasts and other goodies!

2) You can buy me a coffee at Ko-Fi.  Suggested donation is $3

3) You can make a donation to Black Lives Matter.  Suggested donation is $10.  Please forward your receipt to me as proof.

4) You can choose to make a donation to the charity chosen by a sponsor on his/her/their day. Like with the third possibility, please forward me proof of donation.