Cinema Review: Killer Kate! is a fun horror comedy inspired by the films of John Carpenter and Sam Raimi

Killer Kate! (2018), directed by Elliot Feld, is a horror comedy about a woman who gets invited to her estranged sister’s bachelorette party. The weekend is spent in a remote cabin booked on a home-sharing app. What is supposed to be a weekend of fun turns into a fight for life as four girls face a family of intruders intent on killing them. The film features an innovative story, suspense, and a great performance from the lead actress.

The opening credits and the moody music remind one of John Carpenter’s Escape from New York (1981). The kills and Kate’s blood splattered face were reminiscent of Sam Raimi’s The Evil Dead (1981).

The opening scene involves a malicious family brainstorming ways to murder the unwitting guests of their short-term rental house. The motive is a big reveal at the end of the movie—a much broader theme that belies the seemingly simple plot.

Kate, played by Alexandra Feld, is a kindhearted young professional who has feelings for the man working in the neighboring cubicle. Her father is in ill-health and just wants to see his daughters get along while he is still around. Although reluctant, Kate calls her sister and agrees to go on the trip.

The movie is fun to watch because Kate is a strong female character. When the situation becomes life or death, the other three girls tend toward fear, but Kate is up for the challenge.

This film deserves props for a strong cast of characters, a great buildup to the main event, and an overarching theme of much greater significance than one would expect.