For those that like a good gruesome movie, a lot of gore and some brutal deaths there’s The Curse of Downers Grove now on DVD. The interesting low budget thriller puts you in touch with your high school years, but not in a good way. The story plays out with deaths occurring similar to a Final Destination flick by unexpected means and from out of nowhere. It’s a cool little film that shows you can make a small production look big.
Its five days to graduation and the seniors are getting nervous wondering if this year will be like every school year since 2004, ending with another gruesome death. Every year at Downers Grove High School the graduates throw caution to the wind making fun of the curse that has invaded their campus. This year Chrissie (Bella Heathcote) is graduating and she’s not very easy about the curse thinking it could be anyone including herself that ends up the subject of a funeral.
Her circle of friends however are much like her trying to cope with who will be next? Chuck (Kevin Zegers) the high school quarterback, has been pushing her to have sex with him, but she’s starting to take interest in the townie mechanic Bobbie (Lucas Till). Her best friend Tracy (Penelope Mitchell) likes her 15-year-old brother Dave (Martin Spanjers) and having Ian (Mark L. Young) a stalker living next door isn’t the best thing in her world. Everything is closing in on Chrissie and she doesn’t want to be the senior who croaks.
Things start getting heated up at the end of year party with several students open to the arms of an untimely “Death”. Director Derick Martini moves his film along at a fast clip starting with the death at the end of the previous year and flashing forward to Chrissie’s senior year. He sets the audience up for some near misses and works in most all the notables as suspected victims. Setting some suspicious characters like Ian the boy next door to Chrissie and a horrible incident at the party between her and Chuck as focal points to keep his audience guessing, Martini keeps thriller fans off guard to the very end.
The production value turns the film up a notch above average with some very good close-ups and make-up. In order for a horror flick to get raves it has to have the right balance of good photography, special effects and make-up and in The Curse of Downers Grove they get it right. Considering the low budget for the film, it’s amazing that it didn’t tank on production costs, but Martini must have had some favors he called on to make the film right.
The acting by Bella Heathcote as Chrissie is very good and considering she has had a few good roles in films like Dark Shadows with Johnny Depp and The Rewrite playing opposite Marisa Tomei I can see the reason why. I like her character very much and it shows that Heathcote is definitely on the right road to some bigger things. Also giving her all, Penelope Mitchell makes a good companion as Tracy. She’s an important character for Chrissie being a shoulder to lean on especially when things are not going right for her best friend and she nails the role. Landing roles in TV’s “Hemlock Grove” and “The Vampire Diaries” were good platforms to getting noticed and thankfully so as the young lady has talent.
On the downside, Tom Arnold turns his character ex-cop Charlie into a doting and raging father of Chuck the class predator. Wasting no time to show what he is famous for, Arnold blows up when his son comes home with his eye poked out. He’s only in the film a short while, but it’s a highly absurd couple of minutes.
Special Bonus Feature
“Behind the Scenes of Downers Grove” It’s a very good bonus for fledgling filmmakers who can acquire information on how to use a low budget to make an above average movie.
The Curse of Downers Grove has not been rated by the MPAA, but contains violence, language, drug use, drinking, and sex all involving teens. Please treat the film as R rated because of the content and use caution when deciding to allow immature teens see the film. Check out the “final scene” at the end of the credits.
FINAL ANALYSIS: A well-acted and delivered thriller on DVD. (B-)
Specifications and additional video information:
Cast: Bella Heathcote, Lucas Till, Penelope Mitchell, Martin Spanjers, Tom Arnold, Kevin Zegers
Director: Derick Martini
MPAA Rating: Not Rated, contains violence, language, drug use, drinking, and sex all involving teens
Genre: Drama, Horror, Mystery
Running Time: 1 hr. 29 min.
Original Theatrical Release Date: August 21, 2015
Video Release Date: September 1, 2015
Language: English
Reviewed Format: DVD
Audio: Dolby Digital 5.1
Video: Widescreen Aspect Ratio 2.40:1
Subtitles: English SDH, Spanish
Number of Discs: 1 Disc
Distributed by: Anchor Bay Entertainment
Writer, critic, film editor John Delia, Sr. has been on all sides of the movie business from publications to film making. He has worked as a film critic with ACED Magazine for more than 20 years and other publications for a total of 40 years. He earned a Bachelor’s degree in communications from the University of Florida. John is a member of the Southeastern Film Critics Association and Critics Association of Central Florida Send John a message at jdelia@acedmagazine.com
