The characters in a softcore sex movie are getting offed one by one, in the unique new comedy Deep Murder.
Directed by frequent Funny or Die helmer Nick Corirossi, the flick does an excellent job of mimicking and mocking the clichés of the softcore genre before introducing a twisted maniac who flips the whole enterprise on its head.
The presence of something as hardcore as a mad killer, in such a typically conflict-light environment, makes the characters begin to question the nature of their reality. This adds an unexpected layer of absurd existentialism to this goofy sex comedy/slasher hybrid.
The cast of Deep Murder does a tremendous job of navigating the tonal mish-mash, making all the madness make entertaining sense in the end.
Though he is central in the poster, Jerry O’Connell is the first to go (though, don’t fear, O’Connell-heads, he reappears sporadically throughout the flick in home movies and the like). Just before O’Connell’s character can commit adultery with his brother’s hot wife, Katie Aselton (The League, Legion), somebody stabs him to death real good. Maybe it was his jealous brother, Christopher McDonald, but maybe it wasn’t.
Quinn Beswick (who co-wrote the script with Benjamin Smolen, Nikolai Von Keller, and co-star Josh Margolin) plays the sweet nerdy virgin whom we would most like to see get out of this alive — and maybe score with the cute nerdy doctor played by Mad Men‘s Stephanie Drake while he’s at it.
Chris Redd, from SNL, plays a teen football star who becomes sexually confused by the appearance of the slasher. Jessica Parker Kennedy is the slutty babysitter who goes on an intellectual and emotional journey of self-discovery.
Genre fans will howl in delight at how perfectly Deep Murder picks apart and parodies the nuances of both the softcore and slasher genres. But the cast is so winning and the jokes come at viewers so hot and heavy that casual comedy fans will have a heck of a good time too.
Deep Murder opens theatrically today in select cities. Or if you don’t like laughing with a crowd, you can pick it up on iTunes right now.
More Pop Culture Beast — Movies:
*Non-Fiction, with Juliette Binoche
*Get Out Your Handkerchiefs, with Gerard Depardieu
*Diane, with Mary Kay Place
Justin Remer makes movies, directs music videos, and plays in the bands Duck the Piano Wire and Elastic No-No Band when he is not writing movie reviews. His folk-rock documentary MAKING LOVERS & DOLLARS is currently streaming on Amazon.