The hype for this memorably progressive cult classic is truly earned and should be an addition to everyone’s watchlist post haste.
With the announcement of Cherry Falls hitting Shudder on February 7th, 2022 I was admittedly clueless about why people were so excited to see this particular Brittany Murphy movie hitting the shelves.
Now I see why.
Was Cherry Falls the Blueprint for Malignant?
My eyes first got put on to this film by many people on Twitter, drawing similarities between this and James Wan’s newest masterpiece Malignant, which was my favorite horror of 2021; I even saw one tweet saying this film was likely the main inspiration for our beloved backwards slasher Gabriel, which certainly piqued my interest. Mix that with the fact that it felt reminiscent of one of my teen horror favorites, Disturbing Behavior, and I had to see it. With this film hitting streaming soon, I thought I’d take the time to give it a fair shake and watch a forgotten slasher starring one of my favorite actresses, the late great Brittany Murphy.
Points were made when it came to the ties between this and Malignant. A killer in black with long hair and split personalities, an absurd slaughter-filled finale with a laughable climax? Yes, this film has it. But I have to say, even with that, Cherry Falls is as close to Malignant as any costumed killer movie with a Giallo slant since that subgenre clearly inspires both with their very grisly mystery angle. Tonally and visually, however, these two are very out of sync and better off for it.
Giallo Vibes and Turn-of-the-Millennium Aesthetics
Although this film doesn’t have quite the sense of style that most of the great Giallo have, cinematography-wise, it’s still very well shot for being one of only five films director Geoffrey Wright made. Looks-wise, Cherry Falls nails it when it comes to generating that turn-of-the-millennium, small-town America vibe both of its clear inspirations did, emulating the aesthetics of Scream and I Know What You Did Last Summer nicely. It’s by far one of the best-looking of the spiritual successors to those franchises. There’s still, sadly, plenty of bad editing choices and questionable slow-motion that staggers what you’re looking at. Audio-wise, there are some distractingly bad music choices at points (that techno-beat for the first encounter between Jody and the killer, YEESH, that was awful!). But part of me has to say; they’re enjoyably bad for the most part.
As for the story, it’s a film that is self-aware but doesn’t stumble face-first into the beartrap of being eye-rolling and self-aggrandizing, never stopping to pat itself on the back for how clever it is. It takes Randy Meek’s prime requisite of surviving a horror film and flips it on its head; virgins die, and all the lovers who get a home run at Make-Out Point survive. It’s a cute inversion of a typical horror trope! But more importantly, it brings up some surprisingly in-depth feminist themes about sexual agency and women’s autonomy when it comes to intimacy.
Sex-Positive Storytelling Done Right
It’s a sex-positive film that never becomes leery or weird; it’s appropriately awkward at points and intimate at others. Cindy’s debriefing for the girls on the bleachers is a biting commentary on the failures of sex ed in American school systems. Also, it’s such a delight to watch thanks to Kristen Miller channeling the same energy of a big-money business exec as she dresses down her peers on the realities and pratfalls of teenage hookups. It’s all heartfelt and earnest to its benefit. The film is also not afraid to get heavy with its themes, and this is especially apparent in the conversation between Jody and her mother about the origins of our killer.
There are aged lines and some stiff dialogue, especially between Jody and boyfriend Kenny because their onscreen chemistry is out to lunch whenever they’re together. But for the most part, many of the actors depicting our cast of teenagers are fun to watch, and it’s clear that they’re having fun themselves tackling the material they’re given. Murphy’s performance stands out as the kick-ass Jody Marken, and she gives off that pure natural knack for being a scream queen. It’s a bummer this role isn’t more well-known because she’s as great as she always is, filling the boots of the final girl nicely.
RATING: 8.5 (Virgin-Targeting Modular Knife Blade Swaps)/10. Besides the technical flaws this has, it was still an incredibly pleasant surprise and a very fun watch. It’s a wonder I haven’t heard of this movie before with how good it is. It may not be as Malignant as many say it is, but I’m glad; its strength isn’t in how similar they are; it’s in how fascinatingly fresh and original it is.