Monster Mania Day 20: Murder Party

Written by Stu Cooper

I found this film a couple years ago after seeing the trailer on youtube. The film is called "Murder Party" , written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier and released in 2007. I saw the film probably sometime around 2010 and it was love at first sight. The film tells the story of a lonely awkward guy named Chris who is a meter maid. Right before Halloween Chris is doing his regular walk through, ticketing cars in the neighborhood when he finds an envelope on the ground. The envelope contains an invitation to a "Murder Party" which Chris believes to be some kind of Halloween party. Chris decides to create a costume and attend the party but upon entering the party he realizes it's much more than he bargained for. The party is filled with psychotic "artists" who have organized a party in which they will attempt to murder someone in an artistic fashion in order to receive a grant. Sadly for Chris, he is that special someone. Each of the guests at the party are in costume and they are all sadistic in a different way. What ensues from that point on is like a horror comedy version of The Breakfast Club. I can't say much else because I don't want to spoil the outcome of the film.

I loved the way this film was setup. It's setup like a black comedy with lots of nods to hardcore film nerds. There are a lot of inside horror jokes and several of the characters are wearing costumes that are from classic films like The Wolf Man, Blade Runner, and The Warriors. The main character Chris is such a loser than he is actually very likable and you find yourself really rooting for the character. The character lives a relatively boring life and this is probably the most exciting thing to ever happen to him. Unfortunately this moment could also bring about his demise, so it's a funny idea. Overall the film is full of twisted humor, likable characters, and Halloween spirit. Check it out!