By RICHELLE CHARKOT
Starring Liv Collins, Ry Barrett and Tony Burgess
Written by Kevin Revie
Directed by Jesse Thomas Cook
Raven Banner Entertainment
Director Jesse Thomas Cook’s CULT HERO succeeds at knowing exactly what it is and exactly what its audience is showing up for: maximized caricatures, goofy gore, and a joke-per-minute script.
In a world plagued by narcissistic cult leaders who wield their power and abandon their morals, only one hero can bring justice and restore order – a Dog the Bounty Hunter type named Dale Domazar (Ry Barrett), otherwise known as the Cult Buster. After failing to bust a death cult before they commit mass suicide, a rough-around-the-edges Domazar finds himself the victim of online vitriol, and soon, his career is canceled. He tries to regain the respect he once had and figure out an angle for a new season of his show Cult Buster but instead spends all of his time puttering around his dumpy trailer in his underwear and drinking beers well before noon. Meanwhile, a true-blue Karen named Kallie (Liv Collins) signs her depressed husband, Brad (Justin Bott), up for a health retreat that she does not realize is a cult, despite a hundred red flags. The two join forces to free Brad from the shackles of a health group more likely to take a cyanide-laced wheatgrass shot than a relaxing walk in the woods, and Domazar takes an opportunity to come out on top again.
CULT HERO is a delightful horror-comedy. The film’s greatest assets are its genuinely funny script, which perfectly understands how to let a joke breathe while still being consistent, and its endlessly watchable performers, namely the two leads, Collins and Barrett. The story plays out as you would expect, but with a movie like this, overcomplication would ruin the end product. CULT HERO wants to make you laugh as it plays around with special effects and goofy costumes, and it pays off by knowing precisely what it is. With spot-on comedic timing and commitment to the bit, Jessica Vano is also a joy to watch as an elusive realtor who could easily pop into the cast of Selling Sunset.
Though one might look at the promotional material for CULT HERO and expect yet another pastiche horror-comedy with abrasive humor that’s long since stopped being funny (no dildos wielded as weapons in this movie, to my recollection), it is far more impressive than you might think. The joy is palpable in each frame, and the cast and crew seem to have had a good time making this movie. The praise CULT HERO has been receiving is certainly well-deserved.
