Imagine Home Alone, but instead of a cherub-faced Kevin, the victim is a kick-ass single Mom alone in a factory. The cat and mouse (mice) change roles throughout this predictable, but satisfying thriller that waits a long time before spilling blood, but then…wow.
Karen (Natalie Terrazzino) is starting her first day at work – she’ll be the overnight shift janitor in a furniture warehouse. Directors Greg Swinson and Ryan Thiessen set the stage and make sure that the viewer’s bearings are clear for the location. But then they stretch out the narrative, seemingly killing time before getting to the actin.
When things finally roll, Karen realizes that she’s basically locked inside this expansive warehouse ( picture a spacious airplane hangar) and that several bad dudes wearing masks and, I think, voice changing devices) have become the intruders whose job is to fulfill the movie’s title.
There’s lots and LOTS of Karen peering around corners, almost being seen, barely escaping one scenario before the next one arrives. Again, it feels like just a bit too much set-up…or stalling.
It’s no spoiler to say that, inevitably, the hinters become the hunted, and Karen’s grit and smarts will help her show these bastards that they’ve messed with the wrong person. The “kills” are inventive and satisfying, by which I mean, hey, we all like to see the bad guys get their due. And in a genre flick like this? The bloodier, the better.
Terrazzino must carry virtually the entire film, and although she is still polishing her craft, she effectively becomes a heroine to root for. In other words, we like her and want her to survive.
So, with a little patience for some segments of filler here and there, genre fans will find that the production values are totally pro and the storyline is a good incarnation of what it is.
Hunt Her Kill Her opens in 200 theaters on Friday, March 3rd. Stay tuned for any future streaming news.
