Founders Day

While I’ve always liked horror, I don’t know I’ve ever thought of myself as a fan, per se. That’s no detraction to those who are: I simply lack the passion, and the ability to draw enjoyment from movies which often take big swings with their ideas even as they lack the budget (or even skill) to execute that vision. There are some exceptions to the rule, even a few recent ones: Thanksgiving was quite enjoyable (although it admittedly had more money than most), and I have respect for It’s a Wonderful Knife despite it not super working for me. But mostly, I’ve historically avoided cheap looking entries in the genre, instead focusing on the more arthouse takes or classic flicks. So it’s been interesting to start consuming more of them as I endeavor to watch as many new releases each year as I can.

Which brings me to Founders Day. I hadn’t heard much about it, and it’s January, none of which is a great sign. But when I have a free afternoon I could spend watching stuff in the theater, what am I gonna do, not take advantage of it? I figured maybe it would have some redeeming qualities, even if it added up to nothing.

In the cozy, idyllic, small town of Fairwood, tensions are high as the mayoral race barrels towards election day. Incumbent Blair Gladwell (Amy Hargreaves) is running on a platform of stability. Her challenger, Harold Faulkner (Jayce Bartok), has been proselytizing so intensely about the need for change that his relationship with his kids Melissa (Olivia Nikkanen) and Adam (Devin Druid) is beginning to fray. Their supporters are like rival sports teams, lining up across the street from each other outside of the local movie theater, shouting at each other with signs and slogans and nearly erupting into a fight. Because this is a political satire, you see, and that means we’re going to make the fresh observation that rabid partisanship is bad.

When politics underlies the rationale for every part of your decision process, you’re bound to make some self-serving decisions. So is the case when Melissa is thrown off a bridge by a masked maniac (wielding a strange gavel/knife combo) right in front of her girlfriend Allison Chambers (Naomi Grace). Of course, this threatens to disrupt the annual Founders Day, so naturally, the elder Faulkner and Gladwell spar over the right way to handle things. Although Gladwell’s tune changes pretty quickly when one of her own is the victim of the violence.

It’s a slasher trying to make statements about tribalism and the “win by any means necessary” nature of battles for local office. But also trying to be funny. With elements of teen drama. And queerness. And and and and.

Each new plot element it mixes into the stew just serves as another distraction. The campaign having played a role in ruining Adam’s romancing of Lilly Gladwell (Emilia McCarthy). The catty and obnoxious duo of Britt (Kate Edmonds) and Tyler (Dylan Slade), only there to serve as canon fodder whose deaths you don’t mind despite it being for no reason and breaking the killer’s previous MO. Mayor Gladwell’s chief aid Oliver (Erik Bloomquist) seemingly uncomfortable with everything his boss does while making little quips, none of which land. It goes on and on, and all of it feels designed to distract from the fact that it has very little to say.

To be a little fair, they do tie it all together by the end in a way that makes sense. Not only that, the context they add actually deepens the plot and clarifies a bunch of otherwise nonsensical elements. Not only that, but it’s also the only thing that provides any sort of bite. It’s not super sharp or deep, but at least it does a decent job of tying together the two main plots of violence and politics. However, to get to that, you have to hack through a convoluted and unsatisfying resolution. It comes across as an attempt to make sure even if you can figure out some of what’s really going on, there will be at least a few elements you’ll miss. They really could have used to slim down the threads, aim for a nice tight ninety minutes, and improved its impact.

The humor throughout is wildly uneven, the acting is all over the place, and it’s clear they really had no idea what they wanted this to be. Or more, they couldn’t just pick one thing. As such, it comes off more like a cheap knockoff of Thanksgiving than its own thing. Even the idea that the killer is dressed up as the town’s founder is a mirror. Of course, this was deep into post-production by the time that one came out, so it’s just a case of twin films, but that’s certainly doing it no favors.

Despite everything I’ve said, I must say I do detect some talent here. Unfortunately, it may be in its waning years: director Erik Bloomquist has directed a handful of cheap horror movies before, and going by the internet’s assessment, they’ve been getting progressively worse. So here’s to hoping that he’s able to rediscover that spark that lead to him rediscovering the magic of Long Lost and Night at the Eagle Inn.