Watch Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill!

Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill! is a 2017 horror-thriller film directed by Jared Cohn, bearing a title that seems to give a nod to the exploitation film genre à la Russ Meyers' cult classic "Faster, Pussycat! Kill! Kill!" It's a movie that harks back to the shock and gore with a gritty aesthetic peppered with psychedelic visuals reminiscent of grindhouse flicks from the 1960s and '70s.

Tapping into the Halloween horror spirit, the film centers around an all-girl rock band who find themselves ensnared in a terrifying and deadly situation. Fronted by the resolute and fiery lead singer, played by Sara Malakul Lane, the band members are characterized by their tough exteriors, ambition and punk-rock attitudes. They are poised to rise in the ranks of the underground music scene, channeling their frustrations and anger into their music.

The movie kicks off with the band traveling through a remote region in their van, imbued with the high spirits and camaraderie of a group ready to take on the world. Their journey takes a turn for the severe when they decide to play an impromptu gig on Halloween night. Driven by the allure of future fame and the adrenaline of their youthful confidence, they don't anticipate the malevolent forces they are about to face.

Richard Grieco takes on a role that is significant to the plot, although whether he is a friend or a foe to the band members is best left to the unfolding narrative. Demetrius Stear, another fixture in the story, adds to the dynamic interactions and tense moments that drive the movie's suspense.

As the night progresses, following their performance, the group finds themselves trapped in a derelict, maze-like structure, replete with dread and a sense of something sinister lurking. Trapped and isolated, the band is subjected to a series of twisted games orchestrated by an unseen captor communicating via old televisions and speakers throughout the labyrinth. Reminiscent of "Saw", the captor seems hell-bent on torturing both psychologically and physically, setting macabre traps that test the limits of their will to survive.

The gritty visual style of Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill! stitches together a patchwork of neon and darkness, with cinematics that feel both anarchic and claustrophobic. The characters are plunged into a lurid world where brutality is a spectacle, and their worst fears lurk in the shadows. The design of the building where they're trapped, paired with an eerie soundtrack, establishes an atmosphere of impending doom that plays like a character in its own right.

As the film progresses, the bonds between the band members are stressed to the breaking point. Their friendships are tested as they confront life-and-death decisions, and their individual backstories begin to emerge, adding depth to their characters. The ensemble cast, each with their unique set of skills and inner demons, flesh out a survival narrative where one's past can be just as haunting as their present predicament.

Themes in Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill! echo those found in exploitation and survival horror films: revenge, empowerment, and the struggle against oppressive forces. The fundamental drive for survival compels the characters to go through horrifying transformations as they face their captor's challenges. The filmmakers capitalize on the gore factor, with visceral effects and a boast of practical stunt work that hearkens back to a style of horror filmmaking where CGI was not the go-to solution for shock value.

The dynamic between the characters, haunted by the ever-existing threat to their lives, boasts of a psychological complexity that is common in horror-thrillers. Their predicament also becomes a ground for exploration of gender dynamics within a framework of a predominantly male-aligned genre. The women are not just eye-candy or victims; they actively engage with the horror that confronts them.

Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill! is aimed at viewers who appreciate a stark blend of horror, suspense, and a punk-rock aesthetic. It doesn't shy away from presenting female protagonists within the typical male gaze, yet it allows for moments of subversion and strength that challenge the audience's expectations. Fans of exploitation cinema and hardcore horror with a tolerance for graphic content might find this contemporary take a welcome addition to their Halloween watchlist, delivering thrills that both pay homage to and push the envelope of its peculiar genre.

Halloween Pussy Trap Kill! Kill! is a 2017 horror movie with a runtime of 1 hour and 22 minutes. It has received mostly poor reviews from critics and viewers, who have given it an IMDb score of 3.3.