David Pierdomenico
The 80’s was definitely the era of the slasher film. After a decade of dominating the horror landscape, they began to fall into mediocrity among fans in the 90’s. While Scream helped revive them for a brief time, they never really regained the status they once had. The 2000’s certainly has had its fair share of slashers released here and there. But as far as modern (post 2000) slasher franchises go, none are quite as entertaining or memorable as Hatchet.
It’s cheesy, but intentionally so. Writer/director Adam Green set out to make a film that reminds us that horror (especially slashers) can be great fun. It demonstrated that a film didn’t need to dissect the genre as Scream did, in order to be a good representation of it. Everything from the setting, atmosphere, to the array of one liners, makes the series memorable and entertaining.
It’s a Love Letter to Horror
For horror fans, it’s an especially fun series to watch, just from the myriad of recognizable faces from other films. The who’s who of horror includes: Danielle Harris (Halloween franchise), Kane Hodder (Friday the 13th franchise) Tony Todd (Candyman), Sid Haig (Devil’s Rejects), Robert Englund (Nightmare on Elm Street), Tom Holland (director of Child’s Play and Fright Night), Zach Galligan (Gremlins), Derek Mears (Friday the 13th remake), and Caroline Williams (Texas Chainsaw Massacre 2). Clearly the casting decisions were made with an absolute love of horror in mind.
Since the beginning, Adam Green has been quite vocal that it was his love of horror that drove him to make these films. After the third one concluded in 2013, he believed that the series was done. However, after the death of Wes Craven, and a conversation with George A. Romero about doing another film for the fans, he was inspired to make the fourth installment, 2017’s Victor Crowley. And while it wasn’t received as well as the previous three films, it was rather inspiring to see Green set out on a passion project like it. So many directors have a tendency to become pretentious as their films become successful. But it’s refreshing to see one who truly loves the genre and enjoys the process.
It’s Old School
With CGI being so readily available in the 2000’s, a lot of horror films became far too dependent on it, and it really showed. Gone were the creative animatronics and puppets of the 80’s. Instead they were replaced with pixelated eyesores that looked no better than PS3 graphics that took the audience out of the film. Much to their credit however, the Hatchet films always used practical effects and makeup in lieu of CGI. Sure the blood and gore is over the top, but that’s the point!
Also, in a very interesting storytelling device, the first three films are all one continuous narrative. The second and third films both begin with the final scene of the previous installment, thus they all take place over one three day period. It’s a very unique device that isn’t often used in horror, let alone most films in general. It helps give the series a flow, and makes for a very entertaining and fitting marathon viewing. The fourth film, Victor Crowley ended on a bit of a cliffhanger as well, so we’ll see if Adam Green has any more Honey Island Massacres up his sleeve.
As far as modern slashers go, it’s difficult to find a series as entertaining or fun as this. It’s funny when it needs to be, cheesy when it needs to be, and over the top gory when it needs to be. In an era where torture porn and later paranormal hauntings dominated the box office, it’s nice to see a slasher franchise that approaches the genre with glee and reminds us of a time when slasher villains were the kings of horror. Long live Victor Crowley!
