A WiHM review: ‘The Big Bad’

 

 

I’ve had the pleasure of viewing a lot of short films and independent horror flicks over the last few months. Thanks to some great word-of-mouth and also having the chance to chat with several insanely talented filmmakers, my firm belief that the indie scene is head and shoulders  above Hollywood these days has only been strengthened.

One such film that found its way into my mailbox about a month ago was ‘The Big Bad’, a film by Bryan Enk and Jessi Gotta.

Enk directs the feature written by Gotta, with the two sharing producing credits. Gotta also stars as the lead of the film.

We are introduced to a reclusive young woman named Frankie- a beautiful lead who we pretty much gather has some deep issues right from the start of the film. We come to find out she is looking for a man who is seemingly known by no one.

While in the restroom of a local bar, Frankie meets a gal who has more baggage than Frankie. The two form a bond after they realize they have both been screwed over by the same man- the fella Frankie had been looking for in the first place, Fenton Bailey.

A frantic sequence of events ultimately leads to real madness, including a macabre Weekend At Bernie’s moment. Spoiler alert- Frankie gets a lot of horrible liquid in her mouth during this film, most notably blood and monster goo.

Frankie is left alone to search for the man she is hell-bent on administering vengeance on. The only problem is, this fella has quite a few folks standing in between himself and Frankie.

Gotta absolutely kicks ass as Frankie, serving as a character anyone can root for.

With ‘The Big Bad’, audiences have the pleasure of watching werewolves, dungeon creatures and ladies straight out of grindhouse glory go head to head.

The film’s storyline is excellent, spinning a tale of heartbreak and revenge. There is more emotion to this film than I initially expected, and I was impressed with how Enk and Gotta wove the horror and violence so neatly in with the story of a young woman just looking for answers about her past.

The film has done exceptionally well on the festival circuit, winning a bunch of awards (including several ‘best special effects’ nods, as well as ‘Best Director’ at the Maverick Movie Awards and ‘Best Feature Writer’ at La Femme Film Festival).

Independent horror veteran Alan Rowe Kelly excels in a supporting role, while seasoned indie director Jeremiah Kipp lends a hand as assistant director.

With nods to true horror, the classic grindhouse feel and ‘Kill Bill’, I highly recommend ‘The Big Bad’ and can’t thank Ms. Gotta and Mr. Enk enough for allowing me to view their film.

 

My Grade: 10/10

http://www.thebigbadmovie.com/