213 Bones is a nineties throwback slasher that doesn't really do anything original. It is a text book example of a slasher, a simple film if you will. However, this Jeffrey Primm directed and co-written film may be generic, but it was also very entertaining.
An anthropology class at a college find themselves the target of a mystery killer. As they start to get picked off one by one, they become determined to find and stop this threat, but are not even sure who amongst themselves can be trusted.
213 Bones goes through the typical motions that a nineties set slasher would do. Characters almost feel like a Temu version of the cast of Scream, and are made up of a variety of stereotypes. Included within the group of protagonists are middle aged mature student, Bob (Dean Cameron), eighties obsessed Candice (Toni Weiss), boyfriend and girlfriend - Eric (Liam Woodrum - Geek Girl) and Joanna (Simone Lockhart - Sweet Magnolias), college rebel Clyde (Mason Kennerly), scatterbrain Patty (Allegra Sweeney), studious Lisa (Luna Fujimoto), and geeks; Brent (Hunter Nance) and Jill (Elizabeth O'Brien). The supporting cast are equally typical, including the class lecturer Kelly (Colin Egglesfield), local sheriff, and the local coroner. What was great about almost every single character in the film was how suspicious they are all made to look. The paranoid score, and odd moments made it seem that any of these many characters could be revealed to be the one doing the killing. Side characters were equally, if not more suspicious, such as the ever scowling groundskeeper and the weird blood stained regular at the local diner. There were so many plausible suspects, and so many red herrings that it was fun trying to work out who the culprit would turn out to be. When the reveal does happen, there wasn't the most riveting of motives, but the lead up to this was a genuine thrill ride that had me on the edge of my seat.
The killer wears a grotesque wooden mask with long red hair attached to it, covering their head completely, also helped by the big hooded overcoat they wear. It is about 30 minutes before the first kill occurs, and that is a death that takes place in a scene outside of the film, totally off camera. I did worry that this would be the path the film went on, never showing the actual death, but thankfully that wasn't the case. Beginning slow, they increase in pace until the thrilling finale where characters are dropping like flies. The majority of these deaths involve a smallish looking knife, but even so, there is plenty of variety, including throat slits, a severed eyeball, and an excellent slow motion shot of someone being shoved out an upper floor window. These kills don't always show the point of impact on the victim, but they were satisfying, and I liked that more than a couple of times the victims were able to go out fighting rather than just being a lamb to the slaughter.
I wasn't immediately impressed with 213 Bones. But it was barely any time later that I was fully on board with this familiar, yet enjoyable slasher. I found myself verbally warning characters, and pondering out loud who I felt the antagonist would be revealed as. Kind of brain dead entertainment, but I had a genuine blast watching this for what it was. 213 Bones had its US premiere at Screamfest on Monday October 12th.
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