When I first saw the title of Death Pool, I was a bit confused because it is not too descriptive. A variety of plot ideas popped into my head, and none of them were right. While the title may be an obscure play on words that doesn’t exactly work, the good news is that it is the worst part about this movie. I have to say that this movie was good, maybe even great.
It is hard to describe Death Pool as a horror film; I guess I would almost call it more of a dark comedy. There are elements of horror in the film, the main character is a serial killer, and the movie does have death in the title, but it is also full of dark comedic moments, some that may even get you to laugh out loud a little. After watching the trailer, it is what made me want to check this movie out; Death Pool isn’t just entertaining, it is downright fun to watch.
The film is supposedly based on a true story, but we all know how liberal filmmakers are with that line. The film follows Johnny Taylor, a man who’s traumatic past has caused him to become a serial killer who takes pleasure in drowning his victims. What starts as a random act of violence quickly becomes a lifestyle that somehow turns Johnny into a celebrity. As he drinks his own Kool-Aid, he starts believing in his hype and becomes somewhat of an anti-hero. With the police after him, Johnny struggles internally between being a rock star serial killer and what is left of his humanity.
I think one of the things that made this movie so palatable was that most of the main cast were experienced actors. There are no Oscar winners here, but a few of the cast have lengthy IMDB pages. There are a few poor performances, but they are more than made up for by Randy Wayne who plays Johnny Taylor maybe a little too well. Overall I have no complaints about the acting from a movie that seems like it should have some pretty bad acting.
Apart from a few nit-picky things here and there, there is nothing negative to say about this movie. It is simply a fun little flick about your average Joe who just happens to enjoy drowning attractive women. There is a lot of dark humor involved in this film, but perhaps the most subtle and dark humor is Johnny’s evolution of how he drowns his victims. I wasn’t entirely sure about this movie going in, but I am so glad that I watched it. It’s not often that you can describe a horror film as fun, but this is as close as it gets. Death Pool will leave you wanting more in the best way possible, and if this film does well, there is always the possibility for a sequel. If you are a horror fan, I will wholeheartedly endorse Death Pool for your viewing pleasure.
Death Pool comes to DVD and VOD June 20, 2017.