I want all social media activists to be fed to indigenous people. Tumblr would approve dramatically.
“The Green Inferno” pays lip service to the greater works of Lenzi and Deodato. Do I expect anything different from Eli Roth? Not really. But, fan service at a professional level demands a certain respect to the source material. Some fans wanted more gore, others wanted a far more balanced take to the student activists and others wanted a Final Destination flick for SJWs. I dipped a toe in all three camps, so I wasn’t completely satisfied all around.
What did work for me was having a horror film attempt to comment on the current popular social landscape. Specifically, the rise of privileged white kids taking it upon themselves to become the cultural police of the world. Fulfilling the need of a new generation to exist as somewhere between Western missionaries and Peace Corps members, these kids exist as media brats. They believe that camera phones and a sense of what’s right will keep them safe from the horrors of the world.
When we finally get the moments that put asses in theater seats, everything feels gutted. I say that loosely, as I would’ve loved to see real disemboweling in a film like this. The person I saw this with had a great quip after the viewing. You don’t go to Golden Corral and only get a salad. This film got a salad and picked up a single riblet since it was a Cheat Day.
This makes no sense and only serves to undermine the film. If you don’t go far enough for the horror fans and you ostracize the politically upright, then what audience is left? The random creeper that sits in on this one while waiting for another movie to start? When horror refuses to pick a target audience and cater to them, it becomes an FX reel without a narrative point. Nobody needs that.
RELEASE DATE: OUT NOW!