The Machine Girl is a Japanese mix of gory grindhouse and dark comedy. I thought it worked, with the film pandering to the expectations of the many fans of grindhouse. I loved the way the characters were likeable, with rooting for the protagonist a definite. There were some instances where the director used fake looking CGI gore, but there wasn’t too much, and anyway, it was balanced out by using traditional fake gore. The film looked grainy and really made me feel on edge in some scenes because of how gruesome the attacks were. Look out for the ninja woman at the end and what painful hugs she brings. It’s really inventive and fun. This film really knows it’s target audience and gives them a bucketful.
After a swarm of horror remakes, this new, original concept comes along to show that there are still different horror films to be made.
The story is the basic slasher plot of every Halloween and Friday the 13th film, but this one has it revolve around a house of cam-‘girls’. The killer is the usual deranged maniac with a mask from a range of horror films, but he does have quite an emotional back-story to back up the things he does in the later half of the film. If you’re a horror fan, then this is definitely a fun popcorn thrill-fest. There’s also some great cinematography and the actresses and actors all play well and aren’t just there to look good in front of the camera. The only downside, if you’re looking for more blood-spillage is that there isn’t a lot, but there is an excess, in the second half of the film when it ups the tension, of creepy visuals. The jump scares are well timed as well, but this film does not rely on them at all, except it relies on slow tension, building up to the final assault on the ‘girls’ in the house.
The concept is explored really well, and it is great to see a maniac on the loose whom can use technology to see where the ‘girls’ are located in the house.
A fun, scary ride.