Greetings Gorehounds,
I’m back again with another film review. This time we’ll be looking at 1988 Slasher film “American Gothic” I mean, look at this poster.
After the trauma of losing her baby, Cynthia decides to take a vacation with five of her friends: Jeff, Rob, Lynn, Paul, and Terri. They charter a plane from Seattle, but engine trouble forces them to make an emergency landing on an island in Puget Sound.
At first, they believe they’re completely alone. After spending the night and realising there’s no way to fix the plane, they decide to explore the island further and stumble across a large cottage hidden deep in the woods.After fooling around inside (as everyone seems to do in ’80s films, playing with shit that isn’t theirs), in walk Ma and Pa, the cottage’s owners. They seem pretty chill at first, but you instantly get those inbred, cut-off-from-civilisation, “no room for any of this newfangled nonsense” vibes. And those vibes only intensify.
Not gonna lie, it felt a bit shitty of the group to sit down and share a meal with Ma and Pa while completely forgetting about Paul, who they left behind at their makeshift camp to watch the plane. Guess he’ll just crack open some beans or something.
Believing Ma and Pa are the only ones living there, you can hardly blame the group for being shocked when they’re slowly introduced to their “children.” Enter Fanny, Woody, and Teddy all seemingly in their late 40s or early 50s, yet dressed and behaving like children. Albeit children with deeply unsettling habits and facial expressions.
I won’t go into too much detail, but needless to say, the bodies start piling up. It’s campy, and some of the acting is undeniably cringey at times, but there’s still something weirdly enjoyable about this one. It low-key gave me Tourist Trap vibes.
Some of the best moments come whenever Yvonne De Carlo (Ma) is on screen, and the same goes for Rod Steiger (Pa). You can tell they took the material seriously, which makes their delivery feel genuinely creepy rather than unintentionally funny. Cynthia is also an interesting protagonist she’s already a bit unhinged, so what unfolds with her feels… inevitable.
It’s not the best slasher I’ve ever seen, but as a huge lover of ’80s slashers, this one didn’t disappoint. I’m giving American Gothic 3.5 skulls out of 5.
Have you seen this one? I’d love to hear your thoughts, so drop a comment below.
Stay spooky!
👻SG👻
☽ SpookyGee ☾ 