Fangs Out Review: Horror Comedy Struggles To Get To So

Despite the Herculean strength & determination it takes to actually put together a film, the writing is subpar, and the comedy is incredibly juvenile.

For the uninitiated, Sterling Films is a production house that specializes in micro-budget movies. Fangs Out, much like many Sterling productions, is not for everyone, especially if you want cohesive narratives, production value that rises above the average student film, and acting that is a notch above after-school specials. When those expectations are adjusted, you can settle into the ludicrous story that unfolds, though it doesn't mean it's necessarily good.

Fangs Out follows a group of college students that head down to Mexico for plastic surgery. Instead of the regular shady institutions Americans seek out for under-regulated procedures, the group walk into a trap where they meet Dr. Pavor (Samuel Code), a surgeon who is also a vampire. Assisted by his bloodthirsty nurses, the doctor has great evil plans in the works, which are only threatened by a detective searching for his missing daughter.

There is a point where the cheapness of this production becomes charming, as the cast and crew stumble through this truly mind-numbing horror comedy about a vampire using a plastic surgery clinic to lure his prey. Despite the Herculean strength and determination it takes to actually put together a film, the writing is subpar, and the comedy is incredibly juvenile. There is a clear line drawn between those who would enjoy this and those who will not, and as someone who was not prepared for this undertaking, I can only appreciate the efforts. The story's creativity is to be admired, and while the film's execution undermines the script's attempts, there is enough on the page to take an audience on a journey.

However, clichés, terrible one-liners, sad sexual innuendos, and an abundance of foul line delivery plague Fangs Out. However, the film does know how to have some fun. Still, there is no shortage of movies that could benefit from having a woman look over the script, and Fangs Out is no exception, especially due to the nature of the story. It could have also used a few more draft treatments, as its attempts to be satirical or comical fall flat on many occasions, despite the vision being quite clear. The plot starts off incredibly confusing, but later settles into a predictable jaunt with some good instincts.

The production value is basically nonexistent. The DIY aesthetic is hard to escape, but the practical effects and minimal CGI bring together the movie's attempt to be a convincing horror. Though it is hard to truly accept what is onscreen when the shoddy cuts are unable to mask the poor work done. The sound of the outside world intrudes in laughable ways; there is the sound of what might be an AC that cuts in and out at odd times, suggesting that no one was working on continuity here. However, there is much to forgive when you know Fangs Out was filmed on a shoestring budget.

The acting is, at times, exhausting, funny, and just unthinkable. There is a sense that everyone is not taking the job seriously, which is for the best. The bad acting is kind of infectious, as many of the actors take on the same stilted, occasionally melodramatic affectation and frantic line reading. Fangs or no fangs, much of the dialogue is unintelligible, but you get the gist of what's happening when most of the scenes have the cast just standing, sitting or lying down.

Fangs Out is not great and hardly promising, but there is an admirable quality to it that you can't help but embrace. It is a very niche type of movie, but the poor quality is not in question. The critical thing is whether you can enjoy it or not, and for all its flaws, it can't be accused of not being entertaining.

Fangs Out is now available on digital platforms. It is not yet rated.

Ferdosa (she/her) is a lifelong student of cinema. She dreams of being a film festival programmer and is working her way towards that goal by consuming a concerning number of films every week.