It’s Halloween in New York when loner Joe happens to come across an invitation to a Murder Costume Party. Chris quickly throws a costume together of cardboard and duct tape and heads to event unbeknowing that he is walking into a trap set by art students that are looking to kill a random person in an attempt to win favor over an instructor that has access to over $300,000 of grant money.
The students, which are dressed in various recognizable Halloween garb, are as eccentric as they are determined to complete their macabre mission. They quickly tie Chris up to a chair and each offer ideas on how to both kill and represent for art, his death.
But when art enthusiast Alexander shows to the party with his Russian drug dealer, things go from weird to wacky in this black comedy that tries to squeeze as much comedy out of the premise that it does blood from its victims.
Written and directed by Jeremy Saulnier, Murder Party is a fun but sometimes uneven comedy that finds its humor in the darkest of places. Before we even become acquainted with any of the few characters, one accidentally falls leaving a head would that results in their death. The remaining characters are well crafted and each generally has their individual moment to which they are featured. Alex Barnett (Alexander) is the breath of fresh air and stands out with a character that emulates Jeremy Piven’s Ari Gold of Entourage.
After the characters all spew out details about themselves - all thanks to a self injected truth serum diversion - the team attempts to get down to the business of killing. Axes, electric chainsaws and baseball bats are all in play as things spiral out of control and bodies begin to mount.
There is a surprising display of gore in Murder Party that we didn’t prepare ourselves for. One character has a mask welded to his face after an unfortunate cigarette accident and another is on the wrong end of an electrical device. A murderous rampage by our favorite character (he who is dressed in a costume that is ode to Warriors) was our favorite even if a good portion of it is off screen.
By the time the bodies are counted and the blood is dried, audiences would be sure to have enjoyed the ride. The humor works, so does the elements of gore. The characters are well drafted and unique and the director keeps things moving with only 79 minutes to spare.
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