MOVIE REVIEW: Slaughterhouse Rulez (2018)

As it’s October and Halloween season, Mr O and I have decided to watch a few “scary” movies. It’s not our usual favourite genre but we both love Halloween so we thought, why not? Our first pick was British horror comedy, Slaughterhouse Rulez.

Don’s (Finn Cole) mum decides to pack him off to an exclusive boarding school called Slaugherhouse to help him reach his potential. Being Northern and a bit rough, Don sticks out like a sore thumb and immediately becomes the target of sadistic head boy, Clegg (Tom Rhys Harries). That’s the least of his worries though as the fracking going on in the woods surrounding the school have unsettled something sinister.

We were drawn to this film because of its impressive cast. The headmaster is played by Michael Sheen, Simon Pegg plays one of the teachers, Margot Robbie is his girlfriend, Nick Frost is an environmental activist and Asa Butterfield plays Don’s roommate. Unfortunately they all seem to be sleepwalking their way through a somewhat lacklustre execution.

There are some great little Easter eggs back to the Cornetto trilogy and various other well known horror films. There are also some laugh out loud moments poking fun at the debaucherous upper class.

There is a nod to the impacts of bullying and the kind of privilege and elitism that exists at these kinds of schools. This is fairly well done but it is tonally very strange in a horror comedy and feels like part of a different film.

The monsters are not particularly scary and there isn’t really enough tension to play up the horror side. Possibly the message is that boarding school is more horrifying that blind, underground monsters.

It wasn’t the worst way to spend an evening but it’s ultimately totally forgettable. If you want Simon Pegg at his horror comedy best, then just rewatch Sean of the Dead!

2.5/5